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Non-small cell lung cancer

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Alternative Names

Lung cancer -  non-small cell; NSCLC

Highlights

About The Disease

Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) include three cell types: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. In the early stages, surgery can treat all three types.

• Squamous cell carcinoma is usually found in the center of the lung. The tumor may grow to a large size. This type of NSCLC is usually caused by smoking.
• Adenocarcinoma develops in the outer regions of the lung. It is the predominant lung cancer in women. This type of NSCLC is also increasing dramatically in men.
• Large cell carcinoma makes up about 10 - 20% of lung cancers.

Symptoms

Lung cancer usually does not produce symptoms until the disease is advanced. Early symptoms may include coughing, weight loss, fever, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

Treatment News:

• Gefitinib (Iressa), a second-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is now available for only a limited group of patients. Early clinical trials of the drug showed great promise. A newer study, however, failed to show that the drug prolonged survival in advanced lung cancer patients who did not respond to other treatments. If you are currently taking the drug, do not stop taking it without talking to your doctor.
• Results from an ongoing study show that adding bevacizumab (Avastin) to erlotinib (Tarceva) or to chemotherapy increases disease-free survival time. The study looked at patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
• A recent study confirmed earlier results that show that radiation therapy can benefit patients who are unable or unwilling to have surgery for early stage non-small cell lung cancer.

• Review Date: 6/30/2006
• Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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