Types of Lung Cancer

There are different types of lung cancer as follows:

• Squamous cell cancer- This is the most common type of primary lung cancer.  It develops from the cells that line the airways and it is often found near the centre of the lung in one of the main airways (the left or right bronchus).  This type of cancer is often due to smoking;
• Adenocarcinoma- This type of lung cancer also develops from the cells that line the airways.  But it develops from a cell that produces mucus (phlegm).  It is often found in the outer areas of the lungs;
• Large cell carcinoma- This is so called because the cells look large and rounded under a microscope.  This type of lung cancer tends to grow quite quickly;
• Cancer that has spread into the lung-If you have had cancer elsewhere in your body and it has spread to another part of the body, this is a secondary cancer.  Quite a few different types of cancer can spread to the lung, including breast cancer and bowel cancer.  If you are diagnosed with cancer in the lung and have already had another type of cancer, check with your doctor whether the cancer started in the lung or has spread into the lung; 
• Mesothelioma- This is a rare type of cancer that affects the covering of the lung (the pleura).  It is often caused by exposure to asbestos.