Pulmonary & Respiratory Medicine

Interstistial Lung Disease

Lung cancer is a condition that causes cells to divide in the lungs uncontrollably. This causes the growth of tumors that reduce a person's ability to breathe. In lung cancer, this pattern of cell overgrowth occurs in the lungs, which are vital organs for breathing and gas exchange. Cigarette smoking is the principal risk factor for development of lung cancer, Passive exposure to tobacco smoke (passive smoking) also can cause lung cancer in non-smokers. The two types of lung cancer, which grow and spread differently, are small-cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Medical professionals also refer to them as small-cell lung carcinoma and non q-small-cell lung carcinoma.

The stage of lung cancer refers to the extent to which the cancer has spread in the body. Treatment of lung cancer can involve a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy as well as newer experimental methods. The general prognosis of lung cancer is poor because doctors tend not to find the disease until it is at an advanced stage. Five-year survival is around 54% for early stage lung cancer patients that have a tumor localized to the lungs, but only around 4% in those with advanced, inoperable lung cancer. Smoking cessation is the most important measure that can prevent the development of lung cancer.