Lung cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the lung, distinct from lung metastases (secondary spread from elsewhere in the body) and mesothelioma (a primary malignancy of the mesothelium associated with asbestos exposure). The primary theoretical classification divides lung cancer into non-small cell lung cancer (further subdivided into squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma, distinguished by central versus peripheral origin and cell type) and small cell lung cancer, a distinction that determines treatment approach because non-small cell disease may be curable by surgical resection while small cell disease typically presents with early metastasis and is treated with chemotherapy rather than surgery. This belongs to respiratory medicine/oncology, relating tumor histology and anatomic origin to prognosis and treatment eligibility.
Lung cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the lung, distinct from lung metastases (secondary spread from elsewhere in the body) and mesothelioma (a primary malignancy of the mesothelium associated with …