The most common cause of cancer deaths in America, for women and men, is lung cancer. In 2008, 215,020 people were diagnosed with lung cancer, and 161,840 people died from this disease, according to Patricia Cornett, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of California in Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment. Bronchogenic carcinoma is lung cancer that originates in the lung, also referred to as primary lung cancer. There are five main types.
Small Cell Carcinoma
This type of bronchogenic carcinoma is also called oat cell carcinoma. The cancer is usually found in the central area of the lungs. It is the most aggressive of all of the types of lung cancer. It grows rapidly and spreads early to the bone, brain, adrenal glands and liver. It causes what is referred to as a paraneoplastic syndrome, or additional symptoms and disease, because the cancer secretes hormones without abiding by any controls. Small cell carcinoma can cause syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone because it secretes antidiuretic hormone. It can also cause Cushing's syndrome because it secretes adrenocorticotropic hormone.
Large Cell Carcinoma
According to Cornett in Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment, large cell carcinoma is a group of various lung cancers that all have large cells. They are aggressive cancers and double in their size in a small amount of time. The tumors will be found in the central area of the lungs or around the periphery.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma, like small cell carcinoma, originates in the central area of the lungs. Both types are also the two types of bronchogenic carcinoma that are associated with cigarette smoking. Like small cell, squamous cell cancer causes a paraneoplastic syndrome. But it causes hypercalcemia, or high levels of calcium in the bloodstream, by secreting a hormone called PTHrp. Squamous cell carcinoma will spread locally at a much faster rate when compared to the other types. But it will metastasize to distant sites much later than the others, according to Ramzi Cotran, M.D., professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School in Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease.
Adenocarcinoma
In Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment, Cornett writes that this is the most common type of bronchogenic carcinoma. It is usually in the peripheral area of the lung. Like small cell carcinoma, it metastasizes to the bone, brain, adrenal glands and the liver. The number of cases of adenocarcinoma are increasing, as compared to the other types.
Bronchioloalveolar Cell Carcinoma
This bronchogenic carcinoma is usually found in the periphery of the lungs. It is actually a subtype of adenocarcinoma. Cotran writes in Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease that there may be just one nodule of this cancer. But there are usually several nodules, which will then combine. This will make it appear as though someone with this cancer has pneumonia.
References
- "Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2009"; Stephen McPhee, M.D., Maxine Papadakis, M.D.; 2009
- "Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease"; Ramzi Cotran, M.D., Vinay Kumar, M.D., Stanley Robbins, M.D.; 1994
