How does my dad’s SCC lung cancer differ from others at 53?

Question

Hello, Doctor,

My father is 53 years old and was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous cell (SCC) lung cancer. While researching, we also came across another type called adenocarcinoma. We are confused about how these types differ from each other.

How does stage 4 squamous cell lung cancer in a 53 year old differ from adenocarcinoma?
Do they have different causes, behavior, or responses to treatment?
Does one type have a better prognosis than the other?

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern.

I understand your concern about your father’s condition. In lung cancer, there are many different types. The most common type is small cell lung cancer, and any other type is called non-small cell lung cancer, which is generally less aggressive.

Regarding the difference between them in terms asked by you, I will answer. Not really, because all of them may occur due to issues like,

Genetic reasons.
Smoking.
Genetic mutations affecting the patient.

The classification then depends on the tumor cells. Each group of cells has its own behavior, and the aggressiveness depends on the grade, which appears in the pathology result.

The exact cell type is less important than genomic testing, where we evaluate immunotypes, sensitivity, and the potential benefit from targeted therapy to assess response. This is regarding the types of lung cancer, but I understand your concern about your patient.

However, these details do not significantly change treatment decisions. What matters most is immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and the response of tumor cells to treatment, whether radiation therapy or chemotherapy, which represents the initial therapy.

I hope this information helps you.

Feel free to ask further queries.

Thank you.