Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisStagingTreatmentPrognosisScreening
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Staging
Treatment
Prognosis
Screening
Lung cancer (bronchogenic carcinoma) symptoms may include persistent cough, chest pain, wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, fatigue, and unexplained weight loss. Some people with this type of cancer also experience repeated bouts of lung infections, like pneumonia.
Bronchogenic carcinoma is the most common cancer worldwide, and the leading cancer-related cause of death among men and women in the U.S.However, treatment options are improving, and a person diagnosed with lung cancer today has a better survival rate than someone in previous generations.
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Is Bronchogenic Carcinoma the Same As Lung Cancer?
Bronchogenic carcinoma used to describe a specific type of cancer that arises in thebronchi(the large airways of the lungs) andbronchioles(the small branches into which the airways divide). However, it is now considered another name for lung cancer in general.
Bronchogenic Carcinoma vs. Mesothelioma
Types of Lung Cancer
There are threecategories of bronchogenic carcinoma:
People with some types of bronchogenic carcinoma have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. However, there may be some signs such as:
As tumors begin to interfere with the function of the lungs and large airways, breathing-related symptoms usually occur. The most common symptoms associated with bronchogenic carcinoma include:
Smoking is the leading risk factor for bronchogenic carcinoma. In the U.S., 80% to 90% of lung cancer-related deaths are linked to cigarette smoking.
Other bronchogenic carcinoma causes include:
Bronchogenic carcinoma is diagnosed with a combination of imaging, tissue sample evaluations, and blood tests.
Imaging
Sometimes a healthcare provider finds an abnormality on achest X-rayprompting further evaluation withchest computed tomography (CT)or other imaging methods.
Apositron emission tomography (PET) scanmay also be ordered. This is the most sensitive test among the three and may be the best way to accurately stage the disease.
Biopsy
When an abnormality is found on an imaging study, healthcare providers often recommend alung biopsyto confirm a diagnosis and determine the cancer’s stage.A lung biopsy is also used to identify genetic mutations in a person’s lung cancer cells, which may inform the type of targeted therapy used in treatment.
A biopsy may be done in a few different ways:
Blood Tests
Healthcare providers will also order a complete blood count (CBC) to get a comprehensive picture of a person’s overall health.
Increasingly,liquid biopsyis used to help diagnose and direct treatment of cancer.This test can detect cancer cells circulating in the blood, as well asgenetic mutationsin those cells. The results can help determine if the cancer might respond to treatment with targeted medications.
An oncologist (doctor who specializes in cancer) willstage bronchogenic carcinomato assist with making a treatment plan. A cancer’s stage is based on: the size and location of the tumor, whether the cancer hasmetastasized(spread) to lymph nodes, and whether the cancer has metastasized to other organs.
SCLC
SCLC is usually divided into two stages:
NSCLC
NSCLC is divided into five stages:
The recommended treatment for bronchogenic carcinoma will depend on several factors, including the type and stage of lung cancer.
Possible treatments may include:
The overall five-year survival rate for bronchogenic carcinoma is about 26.6%.Lung cancer has a relatively low survival rate compared to many other cancers because it is often diagnosed at a later stage.
An annual chest CT screening for bronchogenic carcinoma is advised for people who meet all of the following criteria:
If you meet these criteria or have other risk factors for lung cancer, talk to your healthcare provider about screening. They may also recommend continuing annual screening even after it’s been 15 years since quitting smoking.
Summary
Bronchogenic carcinoma is the most common cancer, affecting an estimated 225,000 new people in the U.S. each year.Unfortunately, it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, which makes it more difficult to successfully treat.
See a healthcare provider if you have any symptoms of lung cancer, such as a persistent cough, back or chest pain, and wheezing. People who are at a higher risk for bronchogenic carcinoma should also get an annual chest CT scan to screen for the disease.
24 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Lung Association.Lung cancer key findings.American Cancer Society.Facts & figures 2020 reports largest one-year drop in cancer mortality.American Lung Association.Mesothelioma.American Cancer Society.What is lung cancer?National Institutes of Health. National Cancer Institute.Small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–patient version.Basumallik N, Agarwal M.Small cell lung cancer.Zappa C, Mousa SA.Non-small cell lung cancer: current treatment and future advances.Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2016;5(3):288-300. doi:10.21037/tlcr.2016.06.07American Cancer Society.What are lung carcinoid tumors?American Cancer Society.Key statistics for lung carcinoid tumor.Walter FM, Rubin G, Bankhead C, et al.Symptoms and other factors associated with time to diagnosis and stage of lung cancer: a prospective cohort study.Br J Cancer. 2015;112(S1):S6–S13. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.30American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of lung cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Lung cancer risk factors.American Lung Association.Health effects of secondhand smoke.Vogeltanz-Holm N, Schwartz GG.Radon and lung cancer: What does the public really know?J Environ Radioact. 2018;192:26-31. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.05.017Gilbert ES.Ionising radiation and cancer risks: What have we learned from epidemiology?Int J Radiat Biol. 2009;85(6):467–482. doi:10.1080/09553000902883836American Cancer Society.Tests for lung cancer.Kanaji N, Watanabe N, Kita N, et al.Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with lung cancer.World J Clin Oncol. 2014;5(3):197-223. doi:10.5306/wjco.v5.i3.197Revelo AE, Martin A, Velasquez R, et al.Liquid biopsy for lung cancers: an update on recent developments.Ann Transl Med. 2019;7(15):349. doi:10.21037/atm.2019.03.28American Cancer Society.Small cell lung cancer stages.American Lung Association.Lung cancer staging.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of lung cancer.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for lung cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.JAMA.2021;325(10):962–970. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.1117Wolf AMD, Oeffinger KC, Shih TY, Walter LC, Church TR, Fontham ETH, Elkin EB, Etzioni RD, Guerra CE, Perkins RB, Kondo KK, Kratzer TB, Manassaram-Baptiste D, Dahut WL, Smith RA.Screening for lung cancer: 2023 guideline update from the American Cancer Society.CA Cancer J Clin. 2023 Nov 1. doi:10.3322/caac.21811National Library of Medicine.Lung cancer.Additional ReadingNational Cancer Institute.Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–health professional version.National Cancer Institute.Small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–health professional version.Spiro S, Silvestri G.One hundred years of lung cancer.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005:172(5):523-9. doi:10.1164/rccm.200504-531OE
24 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Lung Association.Lung cancer key findings.American Cancer Society.Facts & figures 2020 reports largest one-year drop in cancer mortality.American Lung Association.Mesothelioma.American Cancer Society.What is lung cancer?National Institutes of Health. National Cancer Institute.Small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–patient version.Basumallik N, Agarwal M.Small cell lung cancer.Zappa C, Mousa SA.Non-small cell lung cancer: current treatment and future advances.Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2016;5(3):288-300. doi:10.21037/tlcr.2016.06.07American Cancer Society.What are lung carcinoid tumors?American Cancer Society.Key statistics for lung carcinoid tumor.Walter FM, Rubin G, Bankhead C, et al.Symptoms and other factors associated with time to diagnosis and stage of lung cancer: a prospective cohort study.Br J Cancer. 2015;112(S1):S6–S13. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.30American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of lung cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Lung cancer risk factors.American Lung Association.Health effects of secondhand smoke.Vogeltanz-Holm N, Schwartz GG.Radon and lung cancer: What does the public really know?J Environ Radioact. 2018;192:26-31. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.05.017Gilbert ES.Ionising radiation and cancer risks: What have we learned from epidemiology?Int J Radiat Biol. 2009;85(6):467–482. doi:10.1080/09553000902883836American Cancer Society.Tests for lung cancer.Kanaji N, Watanabe N, Kita N, et al.Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with lung cancer.World J Clin Oncol. 2014;5(3):197-223. doi:10.5306/wjco.v5.i3.197Revelo AE, Martin A, Velasquez R, et al.Liquid biopsy for lung cancers: an update on recent developments.Ann Transl Med. 2019;7(15):349. doi:10.21037/atm.2019.03.28American Cancer Society.Small cell lung cancer stages.American Lung Association.Lung cancer staging.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of lung cancer.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for lung cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.JAMA.2021;325(10):962–970. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.1117Wolf AMD, Oeffinger KC, Shih TY, Walter LC, Church TR, Fontham ETH, Elkin EB, Etzioni RD, Guerra CE, Perkins RB, Kondo KK, Kratzer TB, Manassaram-Baptiste D, Dahut WL, Smith RA.Screening for lung cancer: 2023 guideline update from the American Cancer Society.CA Cancer J Clin. 2023 Nov 1. doi:10.3322/caac.21811National Library of Medicine.Lung cancer.Additional ReadingNational Cancer Institute.Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–health professional version.National Cancer Institute.Small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–health professional version.Spiro S, Silvestri G.One hundred years of lung cancer.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005:172(5):523-9. doi:10.1164/rccm.200504-531OE
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Lung Association.Lung cancer key findings.American Cancer Society.Facts & figures 2020 reports largest one-year drop in cancer mortality.American Lung Association.Mesothelioma.American Cancer Society.What is lung cancer?National Institutes of Health. National Cancer Institute.Small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–patient version.Basumallik N, Agarwal M.Small cell lung cancer.Zappa C, Mousa SA.Non-small cell lung cancer: current treatment and future advances.Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2016;5(3):288-300. doi:10.21037/tlcr.2016.06.07American Cancer Society.What are lung carcinoid tumors?American Cancer Society.Key statistics for lung carcinoid tumor.Walter FM, Rubin G, Bankhead C, et al.Symptoms and other factors associated with time to diagnosis and stage of lung cancer: a prospective cohort study.Br J Cancer. 2015;112(S1):S6–S13. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.30American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of lung cancer.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Lung cancer risk factors.American Lung Association.Health effects of secondhand smoke.Vogeltanz-Holm N, Schwartz GG.Radon and lung cancer: What does the public really know?J Environ Radioact. 2018;192:26-31. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.05.017Gilbert ES.Ionising radiation and cancer risks: What have we learned from epidemiology?Int J Radiat Biol. 2009;85(6):467–482. doi:10.1080/09553000902883836American Cancer Society.Tests for lung cancer.Kanaji N, Watanabe N, Kita N, et al.Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with lung cancer.World J Clin Oncol. 2014;5(3):197-223. doi:10.5306/wjco.v5.i3.197Revelo AE, Martin A, Velasquez R, et al.Liquid biopsy for lung cancers: an update on recent developments.Ann Transl Med. 2019;7(15):349. doi:10.21037/atm.2019.03.28American Cancer Society.Small cell lung cancer stages.American Lung Association.Lung cancer staging.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of lung cancer.U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for lung cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.JAMA.2021;325(10):962–970. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.1117Wolf AMD, Oeffinger KC, Shih TY, Walter LC, Church TR, Fontham ETH, Elkin EB, Etzioni RD, Guerra CE, Perkins RB, Kondo KK, Kratzer TB, Manassaram-Baptiste D, Dahut WL, Smith RA.Screening for lung cancer: 2023 guideline update from the American Cancer Society.CA Cancer J Clin. 2023 Nov 1. doi:10.3322/caac.21811National Library of Medicine.Lung cancer.
American Lung Association.Lung cancer key findings.
American Cancer Society.Facts & figures 2020 reports largest one-year drop in cancer mortality.
American Lung Association.Mesothelioma.
American Cancer Society.What is lung cancer?
National Institutes of Health. National Cancer Institute.Small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–patient version.
Basumallik N, Agarwal M.Small cell lung cancer.
Zappa C, Mousa SA.Non-small cell lung cancer: current treatment and future advances.Transl Lung Cancer Res. 2016;5(3):288-300. doi:10.21037/tlcr.2016.06.07
American Cancer Society.What are lung carcinoid tumors?
American Cancer Society.Key statistics for lung carcinoid tumor.
Walter FM, Rubin G, Bankhead C, et al.Symptoms and other factors associated with time to diagnosis and stage of lung cancer: a prospective cohort study.Br J Cancer. 2015;112(S1):S6–S13. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.30
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of lung cancer.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Lung cancer risk factors.
American Lung Association.Health effects of secondhand smoke.
Vogeltanz-Holm N, Schwartz GG.Radon and lung cancer: What does the public really know?J Environ Radioact. 2018;192:26-31. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.05.017
Gilbert ES.Ionising radiation and cancer risks: What have we learned from epidemiology?Int J Radiat Biol. 2009;85(6):467–482. doi:10.1080/09553000902883836
American Cancer Society.Tests for lung cancer.
Kanaji N, Watanabe N, Kita N, et al.Paraneoplastic syndromes associated with lung cancer.World J Clin Oncol. 2014;5(3):197-223. doi:10.5306/wjco.v5.i3.197
Revelo AE, Martin A, Velasquez R, et al.Liquid biopsy for lung cancers: an update on recent developments.Ann Transl Med. 2019;7(15):349. doi:10.21037/atm.2019.03.28
American Cancer Society.Small cell lung cancer stages.
American Lung Association.Lung cancer staging.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of lung cancer.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for lung cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.JAMA.2021;325(10):962–970. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.1117
Wolf AMD, Oeffinger KC, Shih TY, Walter LC, Church TR, Fontham ETH, Elkin EB, Etzioni RD, Guerra CE, Perkins RB, Kondo KK, Kratzer TB, Manassaram-Baptiste D, Dahut WL, Smith RA.Screening for lung cancer: 2023 guideline update from the American Cancer Society.CA Cancer J Clin. 2023 Nov 1. doi:10.3322/caac.21811
National Library of Medicine.Lung cancer.
National Cancer Institute.Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–health professional version.National Cancer Institute.Small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–health professional version.Spiro S, Silvestri G.One hundred years of lung cancer.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005:172(5):523-9. doi:10.1164/rccm.200504-531OE
National Cancer Institute.Non-small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–health professional version.
National Cancer Institute.Small cell lung cancer treatment (PDQ®)–health professional version.
Spiro S, Silvestri G.One hundred years of lung cancer.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005:172(5):523-9. doi:10.1164/rccm.200504-531OE
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