Lung Cancer
The lungs are two organs that are part of the respiratory system, supplying oxygen to your body to help you breathe.
Lung cancer begins when abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled way in one or both lungs.
Types are two main types of lung cancer:
- Small-cell lung cancer
- Non-small cell lung cancer
There are also some other rare types of lung cancer.
Non-small cell lung cancer
This is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for about 89% of lung cancer cases in Aotearoa.
There are different subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer, including:
- Adenocarcinoma
- Squamous cell (epidermoid) carcinoma
- Large cell undifferentiated carcinoma
Small cell lung cancer
This type of lung cancer usually starts in the middle of the lungs, and often spreads more quickly than non-small cell lung cancer.
Disclosure: The information provided in this article is intended for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional or your healthcare provider if your are seeking medical advice.
Support
Discovering you, or a member of your whānau, is facing lung cancer can be really hard. A diagnosis of lung cancer can result in a range of mixed reactions and life challenges.
Cancer affects everyone differently. That’s why Canteen provides a wide range of free support services to help rangatahi manage the specific challenges they’re dealing with. Canteen services and events can help you find ways to cope with what life looks like now you are facing these unexpected challenges.
You can talk to one of our specialist clinical team about the impacts of cancer on your life. This can be either in person, over the phone, or online. Rangatahi can also connect online 24/7 with peers who understand what you’re going through.
Visit the Cancer Control Agency or Lung Cancer NZ website for more information about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, or speak to your Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) key worker at hospital.