Non-small cell lung cancer
There are 1.35 million new lung cancer cases each year [1]
- 1.01 million of all new lung cancer cases in the world each year are Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). [1,2] This section focuses on the main aspects of lung cancer, with a focus on NSCLC, including epidemiology, risk factors, the different types of lung cancer, staging of the disease and current therapies.
Types of lung cancer
Each type of lung cancer responds differently to various treatments, so the proper classification is necessary before beginning any therapy.
Did you know?
Although lung cancer is the most preventable cancer, it is also the most common and causes more deaths worldwide than any other. [1,3]
While the incidence of lung cancer in some nations has started to decrease, the numbers worldwide are likely to be offset by rising rates in certain eastern European countries and future increases in developing nations. [4,5] A few statistics to put it in perspective:
- Only 1 in every 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer is still alive five years after diagnosis. [2]
- Lung cancer accounts for 12.4% of the total cases of cancer in the world. [1]
- There are 1.1 million deaths due to lung cancer per year, 17.2% of the deaths due to cancer worldwide. [5,6]
- Every 30 seconds someone in the world dies of lung cancer. [2]
Main risk factors of developing lung cancer include: [7]
- Cigarette smoking
- including secondhand smoke
- Occupational exposure to carcinogens
- tar and soot
- metals such as chromium and arsenic
- Exposure to radiation
- radon gas
- x-rays
- gamma rays
- Exposure to building materials
- silicates
- asbestos
- Outdoor air pollution
- traffic fumes, especially diesel exhaust
- Indoor air pollution
- produced by combustion for heating and cooking
All of the above risk factors may contribute to an individual’s risk for lung cancer. Though 90% of all lung cancer cases are caused by cigarette smoking, exposure to any of the above risk factors, paired with a genetic susceptibility, can lead to lung cancer. [7,8]
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of lung cancer and accounts for the most deaths of any cancer worldwide. [2] It is not one type of cancer, but an aggregate of different histologies that have been grouped together because approaches to diagnosis, staging, prognosis and treatment are similar. [9]
Staging and treatment options for NSCLC
In patients with lung cancer, clinical staging based on chest radiography, CT of the chest and upper abdomen and evaluation of the patient’s performance status is effective for treatment planning. [10]
Staging is done by assessing the amount and the size of tumors (T), the amount of nodal involvement (N) and the degree of metastasis (M). In general: [10]
- Hidden stage: cancer is too small to be seen, but cancer cells are detected in sputum
- Stage 0: cancer is only found in the original tumor
- Stage I: cancer is confined to one part of the lung
- Stage II: cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissues
- Stage III: cancer has spread more extensively within the chest and usually to the major lymph nodes
- Stage III: cancer has spread more extensively within the chest and usually to the major lymph nodes
- Stage IV: cancer has spread to other organs
 |
Download your staging card. |
