bronchial carcinoma
Last reviewed 01/2018
Bronchial carcinomata are so common that lung cancer and bronchial carcinoma may appear to be synonymous.
Further confusion derives from the fact that not all bronchial carcinomata are derived from the bronchi, e.g. bronchioloalveolar carcinomata are found peripherally and are derived from bronchioles.
Bronchial carcinomata are classified into four groups:
- squamous cell carcinoma (40 % of all lung cancers):
- spindle cell (squamous) carcinoma
- small cell carcinoma (20-30 %):
- oat cell carcinoma
- intermediate cell type
- combined oat cell carcinoma
- adenocarcinoma (20%):
- bronchial derived adenocarcinoma:
- acinar adenocarcinoma
- papillary adenocarcinoma
- solid carcinoma with mucus formation
- bronchioloalveolar carcinoma
þ large cell carcinoma (10-15%):
- giant cell carcinoma
- clear cell carcinoma
small cell carcinoma of the lung