Does histology play a role in prognosis?
There is a perception that squamous cell lung cancer may be more sensitive to chemotherapy compared to the other cancers. Whenever there has been a detailed analysis of databases to look for prognostic factors, histology doesn’t consistently fall out. What falls out generally is that patients who have advanced stage cancer, have a high white count, elevated LDH levels, or those who have lost more than 10% of their body weight, and who spend more than half the day in bed, do poorly, and those with opposite characteristics do better. What are the major causes and risk factors associated with lung cancer, and what can be done to prevent it? Smoking is the major cause and risk factor associated with lung cancer. It’s a sobering statistic that 85% of lung cancer is caused by smoking. Three percent more is attributed to passive smoking. Only 12% of lung cancer occurs in patients who have not been exposed to tobacco smoke. For example, the risk for male smokers is elevated above that of a mal
