Jump to content

Lung cancer: Difference between revisions

no edit summary
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 62: Line 62:


=== Neuroendocrine carcinomas ===
=== Neuroendocrine carcinomas ===
These cancers originate from neuroendocrine cells in the lung, cells that respond to nerve signals by producing endocrine hormones. They are also related to smoking. The grading system for neuroendocrine carcinomas is special; it’s dependent on the rate of mitosis in the tumor. The stages go like this:
These cancers originate from neuroendocrine cells in the lung, cells that respond to nerve signals by producing endocrine hormones. They are also related to smoking. <section end="oncology" />The grading system for neuroendocrine carcinomas is special; it’s dependent on the rate of mitosis in the tumor. The stages go like this:
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Stage
!Stage
Line 89: Line 89:
|Worst prognosis
|Worst prognosis
|}
|}
Small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC) are found centrally. They grow very quickly (have a very high turnover, tumour doubles every 50 days) and metastasize early. Because of this is surgery very rarely possible, however, thanks to the high turnover it responds well to chemotherapy. Because they grow so quickly, mitotic bodies are usually aplenty.
<section begin="oncology" />Small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC) are found centrally. They grow very quickly (have a very high turnover, tumour doubles every 50 days) and metastasize early. Because of this is surgery very rarely possible, however, thanks to the high turnover it responds well to chemotherapy. Because they grow so quickly, mitotic bodies are usually aplenty.


Large cell lung carcinoma is actually an umbrella term for a group of very poorly differentiated carcinomas, however one subtype, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, is neuroendocrine in origin. Large cell carcinomas are found peripherally.
Large cell lung carcinoma is actually an umbrella term for a group of very poorly differentiated carcinomas, however one subtype, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, is neuroendocrine in origin. Large cell carcinomas are found peripherally.