If you are seeking care for cancer, our team is here to help. Learn more about your options, connect with a specialist, or call us to schedule an appointment.
Lung cancer occurs when malignant (cancerous) cells form within the lungs. Cancer cells grow and multiply out of control, with the abnormal cells forming a tumor. These cells can compromise the lungs and eventually spread to other parts of the body—such as lymph nodes or the brain—in a process called metastasis. When lung cancer is detected before it metastasizes, the outcomes are usually better.
Diagnosis of lung cancer may involve multiple tests and procedures. If you receive a lung cancer diagnosis, your lung cancer treatment plan will depend on factors such as:
At the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, you receive care from an experienced team dedicated to diagnosing and treating lung cancer. Together, they develop a personalized treatment plan based on the type and stage of cancer, genetic and molecular findings, and your overall health and goals.
The leading cause of lung cancer is smoking. The carcinogens in smoking damage the cells lining the lung immediately. The body will start a repair process, but every exposure to smoking further damages the cells and may eventually lead to cancer.
However, patients who do not smoke can still develop lung cancer—as many as 25% of all lung cancer patients never smoked.
Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and the third-most common cancer in the United States. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that doctors diagnose more than 2.21 million new cases of lung cancer each year.
Continued research into lung cancer has improved the medical community's understanding of the disease and lung cancer treatments continue to advance.
Lung cancer symptoms can be tricky to identify, since they often resemble other health problems. Most patients don't notice early signs of lung cancer and may not experience notable symptoms until advanced stage lung cancer.
The most common lung cancer symptoms include:
Less common signs of lung cancer could include:
Signs of lung cancer are similar in women and men and for both small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
There are two main types of lung cancer:
They are named for the size of the cancer cells when viewed under a microscope. Roughly 85% of all lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer has a much lower rate of occurrence—about 15%.
Learn more about the difference between NSCLC and SCLC and the types of lung cancer.
Staging is a way of describing how much the cancer has grown, how big it is, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. Staging is important because it helps your doctor plan your treatment and determine your outlook (prognosis).
Lung cancer has four stages:
Cancer that has spread is known as metastatic cancer. Advanced lung cancer occurs when cancer has spread from the lungs to other organs or when cancerous fluid collects around the lung.
Advanced lung cancer symptoms often include an increase in typical lung cancer symptoms and may be accompanied by signs and symptoms of cancer in other parts of the body.
Many patients discover they have lung cancer when it reaches the advanced stages, because this is when it presents the clearest symptoms. Stages 3 and 4 are both considered advanced lung cancer, since they both involve the cancer spreading out of the lungs to other parts of the body:
Certain genetic and lifestyle factors may affect a person’s chances of developing lung cancer. The most important lung cancer risk factors are:
Lung screenings can potentially detect early-stage lung cancer when it has the best odds of being cured. Learn more about the lung screening services available at Mass General Brigham.
If you have a history of smoking, quitting can be the best lung cancer prevention strategy. Eliminating other risk factors, such as exposure to secondhand smoke or other carcinogenic chemicals, can also help prevent lung cancer.
The first step in a lung cancer diagnosis is to make an appointment with your doctor and complete a medical history and physical exam. To diagnose lung cancer, your doctor may also order diagnostic tests for lung cancer and procedures such as:
The first step after being diagnosed with lung cancer is to speak with an oncologist (cancer doctor) to understand your diagnosis and treatment options. You will receive information about the different appointments you will need to have, specialists you may need to see, and what resources are available to you.
You may also want to consider meeting with a therapist, support group, or loved one who can help you handle the news.
If you are diagnosed with lung cancer, your care team will work with you to develop a treatment plan that is right for you. This plan will depend on the type and stage of your cancer, your general health, and your treatment preferences.
Lung cancer treatments you may receive include:
Lung cancer surgery may involve the removal of a tumor and some nearby healthy tissue, part of a bronchus, an entire lobe (section) of a lung, or an entire lung. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for lung cancer may also be used to kill any cancer cells left behind. Common lung surgery procedures include:
Type of treatments for lung cancer include the following:
The carcinogens contained in cigarette smoke immediately damage the cells lining the lungs. The body will start a repair process, but every exposure to smoke further damages your cells. Eventually, this damage may lead to the development of abnormal cells that turn cancerous.
Vaping is relatively new and smoking-related lung cancer takes a long time to develop, so we don't yet know for sure how vaping relates to lung cancer. However, vaping contains many of the same harmful compounds as cigarettes and other tobacco products, so vaping may pose lung cancer risks we haven't confirmed.
As with vaping, scientists need more research to determine the exact effects of marijuana smoke on lung cancer development. Marijuana smoke contains many of the same dangerous compounds as tobacco smoke so there may be a connection.
However, some marijuana smokers also use tobacco, making it hard to identify the cause-and-effect relationship of marijuana smoke alone. The current belief is that marijuana smoke poses a lung cancer risk, but the severity of that risk isn't clear.
Survival rates for lung cancer can vary from person to person. Your oncologist will be able to answer any questions you may have about your prognosis and the best treatment options for you.
The stage at which lung cancer is diagnosed can vary. Learn more about the stages of lung cancer.
Each case is different, and the recommended course of treatment will vary based on several different factors. Your oncologist will be able to answer any questions you may have.
While a standard blood test cannot diagnose lung cancer, new tests called liquid biopsies can. A liquid biopsy checks your blood for tiny pieces of DNA from cancer cells. This can help doctors find cancer, identify genetic mutations, and monitor how well a treatment is working.
There is no single 'most common' treatment, as the plan is personalized for each patient. The choice of treatment depends heavily on the type of cancer (NSCLC vs. SCLC) and stage. It often involves a combination of:
Targeted therapy and world-class care at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute has given Ann Malik a new lease on life and a passion for inspiring others. Read more about her journey with ROS1-positive lung cancer.
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