Oat Cell Lung Cancer, Disease, Small, Chest

Oat Cell Lung Cancer Is A Very Aggressive Cancer

When people hear the words lung cancer, rarely do they think about the different kinds of lung cancer, in fact many believe that all lung cancer is the same and that all the treatments are the same based on how far it has spread. However, that is not true at all, there are many different kinds of lung cancer and they run in all different stages. The kind of lung cancer a person has and the extent that it has spread determines the kind of treatment the person receives and how aggressive the treatment is. One of the more serious types of lung cancer is called oat cell lung cancer.

Perhaps you are thinking that with a name like oat cell lung cancer, this cancer sounds like it is one of the less serious (if it is even possible to call lung cancer less serious) forms of lung cancer. However, this form of lung cancer is called oat cell, not because it is more benign, but because of its shape as it forms. It looks like grains of oats.

Oat cell lung cancer falls into the category of small cell lung cancer. Basically it is called small cell because of the smaller formation of the cancer vs. a non-small cell lung cancer. For small cell lung cancer there is two stages, limited disease and extensive disease. Limited diseases is when the cancer is relegated to one area, one small area, or to only the lungs and chest. Extensive disease is when the cancer spreads means that the cancer has spread beyond the chest. Once the cancer has spread beyond the chest surgery to remove the cancer is rarely an option.

Oat cell lung cancer is rarely found in a limited capacity, that is because it spreads so quickly that between the time a person has symptoms and a diagnosis it has spread outside of the chest to other parts of the body. This is an aggressive cancer that has to be treated aggressively and the survival rate once it has been diagnosed is around 25%.

Smoking is the number one cause of all lung cancer and is the number one cancer killer. It is aggressive and hard to treat because of how it spreads through the body. In order to prevent lung cancer you should quit smoking immediately and see your doctor to check for lung damage. Take care of yourself and avoid this terrible disease.