Lung cancer – as the name suggests is that type of cancer that is formed in the tissues of the lung. It develops mostly in the cells lining through which air passes. The lung cancer is commonly categorized into two types. Each type can be diagnosed on the basis of how they look under a microscope. In these two types, one is called small cell lung cancer and the other one is non-small lung cancer.

The difference between both the types of lung cancer that are mentioned above is important because treatment for both of them is different. The non-small cell lung cancer, also termed as NSCLC, is sometimes treated with a surgery. On the other hand, small cell lung cancer, which is abbreviated as SCLC, mostly responds to chemotherapy and radiation in a better way.

The factor that is most commonly responsible for causing lung cancer is having extensive disclosure to the smoke of tobacco. But there are 15% cases in which lung cancer is caused to the people who do not ever smoke. This is because of a combination of reasons like inherited factors, radon gas, air pollution, asbestos and even secondhand smoke in some of the cases.

Symptoms that may suggest lung cancer include breathing and may be swallowing difficulties, coughing up blood, chronic coughing, wheezing, chest or abdominal pain, abnormal weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, hoarse voice and in some cases clubbing of fingernails may also occur. One of the most effective ways to prevent this is to ban smoking, at least at public places.