Lung cancer Mate pukupuku pūkahukahu

Not all lung cancers are the same. Some types are more serious than others or more likely to get worse.

Main types of lung cancer

• Non-small-cell lung cancers, including adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. These are the most common forms of lung cancer.
• Small-cell lung cancer. About 1 in 5 lung cancers are small-cell cancer.
• Secondary lung cancers. These are cancers that have spread to the lungs from somewhere else in the body (metastases).
• Mesothelioma. This is a type of lung cancer that affects the lining of the lungs.

The risk factors for lung cancer are:

• smoking, especially if you began smoking when young, smoked for a long time or were a heavy smoker
• exposure to secondhand smoke
• family history of lung cancer
• history of lung disease, for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• history of cancer
• exposure to cancer-causing agents, for example, asbestos, radon, diesel exhaust and air pollution.

The chance of developing lung cancer increases with age.

Symptoms of lung cancer may include:

• a cough that does not go away and gets worse over time
• constant chest pain or shoulder pain
• shortness of breath or wheezing
• a hoarse voice
• lots of lung infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia
• coughing up blood
• a chest infection that will not go away
• losing weight without trying to
• constant tiredness.

Your healthcare provider will listen to your chest for anything unusual. They may arrange further tests such as a:

• sputum test (coughing up mucus or phlegm into a little container)
• chest x-ray.

They may also refer you to a specialist for more tests, such as a:

• bronchoscopy — a small tube with a camera is inserted through your nose to look inside the airways that lead to your lungs
• fine needle aspirate — during a CT scan, a needle is placed into the abnormal part of your lung to take a sample, and the sample is sent for analysis
• CT scan or PET-CT scan
• lung biopsy.

Scans and x-rays

The treatment for lung cancer depends on:

• the type of lung cancer
• where it is
• how large it is
• if it has spread.

Treatment options may include:

• surgery
• radiation
• chemotherapy
• radiofrequency ablation
• targeted therapy
• immunotherapy.

Early non-small-cell lung cancer is usually treated with surgery. A combination of radiation treatment and chemotherapy may also be needed.

Small-cell lung cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Cancer treatments

There is no certain way to prevent lung cancer, but there are some things you can do that may reduce your chances of getting it. These include:

• not smoking, and if you do smoke, quitting as soon as possible
• avoiding smoke from other people's cigarettes, cigars or pipes
• avoiding asbestos
• avoiding exposure to cancer-causing agents such as asbestos, radon, diesel exhaust and air pollution.

Quitting smoking