| Understandingly, lung cancer starts in the cells of the | | | | main purpose of your lungs... and now to a closer look |
| lungs. It is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in the | | | | at lung cancer. |
| tissues of the lung. | | | | What most people don't know is that there are two |
| Most people know that the lungs are in the chest, | | | | types of lung cancer. The most common type is the |
| one on each side of the heart. The right lung has | | | | non-small cell , also known as (NSCLC). This cancer |
| three main parts, called lobes. The left lung is a bit | | | | grows more slowly than the small cell type. While the |
| smaller and has two lobes. The lungs are cushioned | | | | small-cell grows quickly and often spreads to distant |
| and protected by a thin covering called the pleura. | | | | parts of the body. |
| The pleura has two layers of tissue: one layer covers | | | | There is also a rare type of cancer called pleural |
| the lungs and the other lines the inside wall of the | | | | mesothelioma which is often mistakenly called a lung |
| chest. There is a small amount of fluid (pleural fluid) | | | | cancer. But pleural mesothelioma starts in the lining of |
| between the two layers of the pleura. So this | | | | the lung and is very different from cancer that starts |
| basically describes what lungs are... but what are they | | | | in the lung. |
| for? | | | | Now for the three types of non-small cancers, which |
| You use your lungs when you breathe. The air you | | | | are squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and |
| take in through your nose or mouth flows down the | | | | large cell carcinoma. These account for about 80% of |
| trachea (windpipe). The trachea divides into two | | | | lung cancers, while small-cell (also called oat) accounts |
| tubes called the left and right bronchi, which carry air | | | | for about 20%. The vast majority of all lung cancers |
| to each lung. Once inside the lung, the bronchi divide | | | | are of the carcinoma type. |
| into smaller and smaller tubes called bronchioles. Each | | | | It's important to understand these three types of |
| bronchiole ends in a cluster of tiny air sacs called | | | | cancers because treatment varies accordingly. |
| alveoli. The alveoli take oxygen from the air you | | | | Non-small cell lung carcinoma for example, is |
| breathe in and pass it into the blood for circulation to | | | | sometimes treated with surgery, while small cell lung |
| all parts of your body. The alveoli also remove carbon | | | | carcinoma, usually responds better to chemotherapy |
| dioxide from the blood, which is pushed out of the | | | | and radiation. |
| lungs when you exhale. So now you understand the | | | | |