Large Cell Lung Cancer

Terminology: Primary lung cancers are often divided into two broad groups: Small cell (oat cell) and non small cell cancers. The non-small cell cancers may be epidermoid, adenocarcinoma or large cell cancers.

CXR Findings:  All primary lung cancers have a statistical prevalence for the upper 2/3 of the lungs. It is a bit of a game to try to identify the cell type by the chest imaging, but large cell cancers as their name implies tend to be larger lung masses with a mid and peripheral lung distribution.

Staging and Treatment: A tissue diagnosis is needed either bronchoscopically or by percutaneous needle biopsy.  Thoracic and abdominal CT as well as abdominal ultrasound are the basics of imaging screening.

Treatment:  If the staging is appropriate, lung or tumor resection may be performed. The adjunctive use of chemotherapy or radiation is variable.

"Aunt Sophies": (round) pneumonia, round atelectasis, bulky metastasis, lung pseudo-tumors (fissural fluid), post inflammatory pseudo-tumors, vasculitis