SQUAMOUS CELL LUNG CANCER

Course overview

SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA (SCC) OF THE LUNG, ALSO KNOWN AS SQUAMOUS CELL LUNG CANCER, IS A TYPE OF NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (NSCLC). SQUAMOUS CELL LUNG TUMORS OFTEN OCCUR IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE LUNG OR THE MAIN AIRWAY, SUCH AS THE LEFT OR RIGHT BRONCHUS. THE MAIN CAUSATIVE AGENT OF CELLULAR TRANSFORMATION IS TOBACCO SMOKE. APPROXIMATELY 80% OF LUNG CANCER CASES IN MEN AND 90% OF PATIENTS IN WOMEN ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SMOKING. SCC IS MORE STRONGLY ASSOCIATED WITH SMOKING THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF NSCLC. OTHER RISK FACTORS FOR SCC INCLUDE AGE, FAMILY HISTORY, EXPOSURE TO SECOND-HAND SMOKE, MINERAL AND METAL PARTICLES, OR ASBESTOS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE LUNG AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.