Lung cancer starts as a growth of cells in the lungs. The lungs are two spongy organs in the chest that control breathing. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
Cancer that begins in the lungs is called primary lung cancer. Cancer that spreads to the lungs from another place in the body is known as secondary lung cancer. This page is about primary lung cancer.
Lung cancer mainly affects older people, it is rare in people younger than 40. More than 4 out of 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK are aged 75 and older.
Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. It causes about 90% of lung cancer cases. Tobacco smoke contains many chemicals that are known to cause lung cancer. If you still smoke, quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do for your lung health.
2 in 5 people with the condition live for at least 1 year after they're diagnosed, and about 1 in 10 people live at least 10 years. However, survival rates vary widely, depending on how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis. Early diagnosis can make a big difference.
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The following are signs of lung cancer:
- A persistent cough
- Coughing up blood
- Persistent breathlessness
- Unexplained tiredness and weight loss
- An ache or pain when breathing or coughing
You should see a GP if you have these symptoms.
There are two main forms of primary lung cancer, these are classified by the type of cells in which the cancer starts growing:
- Non-small-cell lung cancer – the most common form, accounting for around 80 to 85 out of 100 cases. It can be one of three types: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma.
- Small-cell lung cancer – a less common form that usually spreads faster than non-small-cell lung cancer.
The type of lung cancer you have determines which treatments are recommended.
Treatment depends on the type of mutation the cancer has, how far it's spread and how good your general health is. If the condition is diagnosed early and the cancerous cells are confined to a small area, surgery to remove the affected area of lung may be recommended
If surgery is unsuitable due to your general health, radiotherapy to destroy the cancerous cells may be recommended instead. If the cancer has spread too far for surgery or radiotherapy to be effective, chemotherapy is usually used.
There are also a few medicines known as targeted therapies. They target a specific change in or around the cancer cells that is helping them to grow. Targeted therapies cannot cure lung cancer, but they can slow its spread.
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