Lung cancer starts in the cells of the lung. The lungs are in the chest, on either side of the heart. The right lung has three compartments or lobes and the left lung has two lobes. Air is inhaled through the nose and throat and flows past the voice box (larynx) into the windpipe (trachea). The windpipe divides into two tubes, the left and right bronchi, which supply air to each lung. Within the lung, the tubes get smaller and smaller (bronchioles) until they reach air sacs (alveoli). The alveoli’s job is to add oxygen to the blood and to take waste gases out. The waste gas is removed from the body as we exhale.

There are 2 main types of lung cancer:

-non-small cell lung cancer (the most common)

-small cell lung cancer

Each type is treated differently.

There are 3 types of non-small cell lung cancer:

-adenocarcinoma

-squamous cell carcinoma

-large cell undifferentiated carcinoma

Non-small cell lung cancer can start anywhere in the lungs.

There are also 3 types of small cell lung cancer:

-small cell carcinoma

-mixed small cell/large cell

-combined small cell carcinoma

These cancers usually start in the cells of the bronchi, the bronchioles, the alveoli or the supporting tissues of the lung.

[page source: www.cancer.ca]