WHAT SHOULD I KNOW
IF I GET DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER?
Not all lung cancers are the same. Treatment shouldn’t be, either. Learn about the type and the stage of your lung cancer first. Doing so may help you and your doctor determine the optimal treatment plan for you.
THE TWO TYPES OF LUNG CANCER ARE:
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
(NSCLC)
(The most common type of lung cancer)
Small Cell Lung Cancer
(SCLC)
STAGES OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER
Stage 1
Cancer is located only in the lung, and it has not spread to any lymph nodes. The tumor is no larger than a few centimeters.
Stage 2
Cancer is in the lung, and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes on the same lung.
Stage 3
Locally advanced.
Cancer has been found in the lung, lymph nodes, and in structures around the middle of the chest.
Stage 4
Metastatic.
Cancer is in both lungs, or has spread to another part of the body, such as the liver or other organs.
Did you know?
APPROXIMATELY 1/3 OF ASIAN LUNG CANCER PATIENTS HAVE NEVER SMOKED.*
*This study was conducted from 1999 to 2002, with 883 NSCLC patients from Chinese, Malay, Indian and other ethnic groups.
LUNG CANCER MYTH & FACT
One of the biggest misconceptions about lung cancer is that only smokers are at risk. In fact, people who don’t smoke can also be at risk of getting lung cancer.
ANYONE CAN GET LUNG CANCER REGARDLESS OF AGE, SEX, RACE, OR SMOKING STATUS.
WHAT IS CAUSING MY LUNG CANCER?
Lung cancer begins with changes to your genes. These changes, called “mutations,” may cause cells in your lung to become cancerous and grow out of control.
RISK FACTORS FOR GENE MUTATIONS
Exposure to factors outside your body — factors such as smoking, secondhand smoke, radon, air pollution, or other carcinogens — may lead to gene mutations. But in some cases, gene mutations may happen randomly inside your cells without obvious outside cause.
Certain genetic mutations or proteins in your lung cancer, called biomarkers, may drive your lung cancer to grow and spread.