The lungs are two vital organs located in the right and left parts of the chest. Dirty blood in other parts of the body is sent to the lungs via the heart. The lung gives oxygen to the blood and cleans it and sends it back to the other organs and tissues of the body.
The right lung consists of three parts and the left lung consists of two parts (lobes). Both lungs are attached to the thoracic cavity by a bilayer membrane (pleura).
The lung consists of about 300 million air sacs (alveoli). Alveoli provide oxygen exchange in the body. These cells reproduce by dividing when needed. A tumor occurs when this division and proliferation is out of control. The tumor grows rapidly and spreads to other organs and tissues.
What is the incidence of lung cancer?
Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in both men and women. Approximately 15% of all cancer cases in the world are lung cancer. Lung cancer is also the most common cause of death from cancer. Approximately 20-28% of cancer-related deaths are due to lung cancer. The five-year survival rate is lower than most types of cancer. However, with the development of treatment options and early diagnosis methods in recent years, the level of five-year survival has begun to increase.
Lung cancers can occur at almost any age. However, the incidence is higher over the age of 40.
It may not show any symptoms in the early stages. Five-year survival level is low in diagnosed patients. Therefore, it is important to combat risk factors.
What are the types of lung cancer?
Lung cancer is basically evaluated in two groups. These:
- Non-small cell lung cancer: It constitutes 80-85% of lung cancers. Three types of cancer, whose general course of the disease and treatments are similar to each other, are in this group.
- Adenocarcinoma: It arises from cells in the lung that secrete substances such as mucus. It is mostly seen in the outer parts of the lung and tends to spread (metastasize). It is the most common type of lung cancer. It is seen relatively more in women than in men and in young people compared to advanced age. Smoking or being in smoking places increases the risk.
- Squamous cell carcinoma: It arises from squamous cells lining the inside of the airways in the lungs. It occurs in the middle parts of the lung, near the bronchi. It is associated with smoking.
- Large cell carcinoma: It can be seen all over the lung. It spreads rapidly. It is more difficult to treat.
- Small cell lung cancer: It constitutes 10-15% of lung cancers. It spreads faster than non-small cell lung cancers. It responds better to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, in most patients, the cancer has spread to other organs or tissues at the time of diagnosis.
Apart from these, rarer adenoid carcinomas, carcinoid tumors, lymphomas, sarcomas can be seen in the lung.
Since the lung is the organ from which dirty blood comes from all organs, it is an organ where other cancers spread apart from primary cancers. Cancers of the breast, pancreas, liver, skin, etc. spread frequently to the lungs.