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Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

What is non-small cell lung cancer?

Non-small cell lung cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the tissues of the lung. There are several types of non-small cell lung cancer. The types are named for the kinds of cells found in the cancer and how the cells look under a microscope:
  • Squamous cell carcinoma:
    Cancer that begins in squamous cells, which are thin, flat cells that look like fish scales. This is also called epidermoid carcinoma.
  • Large cell carcinoma:
    Cancer that may begin in several types of large cells.
  • Adenocarcinoma:
    Cancer that begins in the cells that line the alveoli and make substances such as mucus.
  • Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma:
    A subtype of adenocarcinoma that is less agressive.
Learn more about going to a new website non-small cell lung cancer in the Health Library, part of UofMHealth.org's web site.

There is hope, innovation and support available for those with all forms of lung cancer here at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Patient Care and Treatment:
The Thoracic Oncology Program at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center has assembled a team to provide care to our patients diagnosed with lung cancer or mesothelioma. The team is staffed by thoracic surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, pathologists and nurses dedicated to providing patients with the best possible care. For patients with lung cancer, optimal treatment usually requires the integration of multiple therapeutic modalities, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Our team consists of experts in each of these disciplines who focus extensively on the care of patients with lung cancer and who meet regularly in a Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Clinic and the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Conference to determine the best management strategy for each individual patient.

Research and Innovation:
The U-M Thoracic Oncology Program has also developed and participated in numerous clinical trials for patients with all stages of small cell and non-small cell lung cancer to evaluate novel therapeutic strategies using leading-edge chemotherapy agents and radiotherapy techniques.

Patient Care and Treatment:
Since our program is part of the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center, our patients have access to Patient/Family Support Services. To fully understand what this means, please take time to visit the For Cancer Center Patients area of this website. We outline the services available to our patients at every point in their care.

Make an appointment/referral to the Multidisciplinary Lung Cancer Clinic

To make a first time appointment, please call the Patient Care Center at 877-308-9111 (Monday-Friday, 8am-5:30pm EST). If you would like to refer a patient, please contact our M-Line service: 800-962-3555. For more information, visit our Make an Appointment web page.

Still have questions?

The nurses at Cancer AnswerLine™ have answers. Call 1-800-865-1125 and you'll get a personal response from one of our registered nurses, who have years of experience in caring for people with cancer.

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See Also
going to a new websiteLung Cancer Screening Clinic

going to a new websiteLung Cancer Clinical Trials -on the UMClinicalStudies.org website