Lung cancer is a very common and serious type of cancer.
More than 2,500 people are diagnosed with it every year in Ireland. It is the third most common type of cancer in Ireland.
Types of lung cancer
Types of cancer that start in your lungs are:
- non-small-cell lung cancer
- small-cell lung cancer
Non-small-cell lung cancer
More than 4 in 5 cases of lung cancer are non-small-cell lung cancer.
The main types are:
- squamous cell carcinoma
- adenocarcinoma
- large-cell carcinoma
Small-cell lung cancer
Small-cell lung cancer is less common, but it spreads faster.
Cancer can spread to your lungs from another part of your body. This is called secondary lung cancer. Treatment for secondary lung cancer depends on where the cancer started and how it spread.
Who's affected
About 7 in 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer in Ireland are age 65 and older.
It's rare in people younger than 40.
Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer. 7 in 10 people who get lung cancer smoke or used to smoke. But you can get lung cancer even if you have never smoked.
Reduce your risk of getting lung cancer
Outlook
Early diagnosis can make a big difference to how treatable your lung cancer is.
How long you may live depends on how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis.
After they're diagnosed:
- 4 in 10 people with lung cancer live for at least 1 year
- 1 in 10 people live at least 10 years