Carcinoma of the Lung
Carcinoma of the lung is the number one cause of cancer mortality in the United States. The primary cause of this highly fatal malignancy is cigarette smoking, which accounts for at least 85% of cases. Asbestos is a contributing factor in a small percentage of these cases, and the interaction between asbestos and smoking is considered to be super additive. Studies have shown that the risk of lung cancer in asbestos-exposed individuals is primarily increased in individuals with an exposure within the range that is associated with asbestosis. Any of the six major histological types of lung cancer may be caused by asbestos exposure, with adenocarcinoma being the most commonly identified histological type. In addition to making an accurate diagnosis of lung cancer, the role of the pathologist includes the detection of other non-neoplastic abnormalities in the lung parenchyma that was sampled, such as emphysema, small airways disease, or asbestosis. In some cases, fiber burden analysis can provide valuable information regarding asbestos causation. Considerable advances have been made in the molecular pathology of lung cancer in the past few years, and these are summarized in this chapter.
