Lung cancer - Non-small-cell lung cancer

Lung cancer

Different kinds of non-small-cell lung cancer

There are three main types of non-small-cell lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma: This kind of cancer grows in certain

gland
A gland is any group of cells in the body that makes and releases something for use by another part of the body. For example, the thyroid gland makes a hormone called thyroxine. This acts on receptors within cells. By acting on the receptors it gives the cells a message to speed up their metabolism and work harder.

glands that produce mucus. It usually starts in the airways at the outer edges of the lungs. It is the most common type of non-small-cell lung cancer, making up about two-fifths of all cases of lung cancer.

Source:
Sekido Y, Fong KM, Minna JD.
Cancer of the lung.
In: DeVita VT Jr, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA. Cancer principles and practice on oncology. 6th edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, U.S.A.; 2001.

¹
Squamous cell carcinoma: This is a slow-growing cancer that affects the airways. It makes up about one-third of all lung cancers.
Large cell carcinoma: This type of cancer is made up of larger cells than other forms of lung cancer. About 15 percent of lung cancers are this type.

Source:
Sekido Y, Fong KM, Minna JD.
Cancer of the lung.
In: DeVita VT Jr, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA. Cancer principles and practice on oncology. 6th edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, U.S.A.; 2001.

¹

Sources for the information on this page:

Sekido Y, Fong KM, Minna JD.Cancer of the lung.In: DeVita VT Jr, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA. Cancer principles and practice on oncology. 6th edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, U.S.A.; 2001.

This information was last updated on Mar 10, 2009

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