HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Lung cancer
Mate pukupuku pūkahukahu
Lung cancer is a type of cancer that forms inside your lungs. Like all organs, your lungs are made of cells. Sometimes something goes wrong with the cells and they multiply uncontrollably. This is called cancer.
Lung cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in New Zealand. About 2,000 New Zealanders are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.
Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer. The best way to reduce the number of people getting lung cancer is to reduce the number of people who smoke.
Some people who develop lung cancer have never smoked. They may have worked with asbestos, nickel or chromium, or may have been exposed to second-hand smoke.
Symptoms of lung cancer
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Important
If you have any of the symptoms above or you are worried you might have lung cancer, speak to your general practice team. They will help you and arrange further tests if necessary.
Types of lung cancer
Not all lung cancers are the same. Some types are more serious than others or more likely to get worse. They may also need different types of treatment.
The main types of lung cancer are:
- Non-small-cell lung cancers, including adenocarcinoma (ad-en-o-car-sin-o-ma) and squamous cell carcinoma. These are the most common forms of lung cancer.
- Small-cell lung cancer. About 1 in 5 lung cancers are small-cell cancer.
- Secondary lung cancers. These are cancers that have spread to the lungs from somewhere else in the body (metastases). For example, from bowel cancer or breast cancer.
- Mesothelioma. This is a type of lung cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. For more information see the Cancer Society of New Zealand's page about mesothelioma.
Preventing lung cancer
The best way to prevent getting lung cancer is not to smoke. If you do smoke, there are many ways to quit. If you would like to know more about quitting smoking, talk to your general practice team or see How to become smokefree.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Cancer Society – Understanding lung cancer
Detailed information about lung cancer.
- Lung Foundation New Zealand
Lung Foundation New Zealand promotes healthy lungs and early detection of lung cancer. Its website has resources and information about events.
- Quit smoking information:
- Smokefree Aotearoa
Information from the Health Promotion Agency on how to quit smoking.
- Quitline
Quitting advice from the Quit Group charity.
- Smokefree Aotearoa
On the next page: Diagnosing and treating lung cancer
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed October 2024.
Sources
Review key: HILUC-282689
