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What Is Squamous Cell Lung Cancer?

According to the National Cancer Institute, squamous cells are located in your skin tissue, the lining of narrow organs and in passages of your respiratory and digestive tracts. Cancer that begins in these cells is known as "squamous cell carcinoma" or "epidermoid carcinoma." When this type of malignant cancer forms in the tissues of the lungs, it is known as "squamous cell lung cancer."

  1. Features

    • According to the American Lung Association, there are two major types of lung cancer, the leading cause of death of both men and women in the United States. The two types are classified as small-cell and non-small-cell lung cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma is one of three types of non-small-cell lung cancer.

    Symptoms

    • A few symptoms of lung cancer are chronic cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, unexplained fever, repeated occurrences of bronchitis and pneumonia, unexplained weight loss, lack of energy, tiredness and chest pain. However, these symptoms are also common to other lung diseases and are not usually evident until the disease has advanced.

    Diagnosis

    • Your doctor will review your medical history and conduct a physical exam, including chest X-rays and CT scans, to determine if you have lung cancer. Further testing will be done to ascertain if your cancer is squamous cell lung cancer and if it has spread to other parts of your body. The tests may include CT scans, bone scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

    Risk Factors

    • Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer. Approximately 87 percent of all cases of lung cancer result from smoking. The second-largest culprit is radon gas. Other causes are carcinogens, such as asbestos, uranium and arsenic.

    Significance

    • The type of treatment and recovery depends on the stage of your cancer, whether or not the cancer has spread and your overall health--your body's ability to fight the cancer. However, according to the National Cancer Institute, currently, there is no cure for non-small-cell lung cancers, such as squamous cell.

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