Lung cancer

Published 20 February 2019

The lungs are a pair of organs found inside the chest. They fill with air when a person breathes in, and empty as they breathe out. The lungs bring oxygen into the body and take carbon dioxide out. 

Lung cancer starts when cells in the lung become abnormal. These cells divide and grow to form a cancer.

There are two main types of lung cancer:

• small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
• non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Search for clinical trials that are recruiting in NSW.

Lung cancer has been the most commonly-diagnosed cancer in the world since 1985.

Incidence and mortality data is currently available up until 2015.

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View more information on how the above incidence, mortality and survival data was calculated