Non-small cell lung cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the lung.

The lungs are a pair of cone-shaped breathing organs in the chest. The lungs bring oxygen into the body as you breathe in. They release carbon dioxide, a waste product of the body’s cells, as you breathe out. Each lung has sections called lobes. The left lung has two lobes. The right lung is slightly larger and has three lobes. Two tubes called bronchi lead from the trachea (windpipe) to the right and left lungs. The bronchi are sometimes also involved in lung cancer. Tiny air sacs called alveoli and small tubes called bronchioles make up the inside of the lungs.

Oxygen is inhaled into the lungs and passes through the thin membranes of the alveoli and into the bloodstream. A thin membrane called the pleura covers the outside of each lung and lines the inside wall of the chest cavity. This creates a sac called the pleural cavity. The pleural cavity normally contains a small amount of fluid that helps the lungs move smoothly in the chest when you breathe. .

Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Recurrent non-small cell lung cancer is cancer that has recurred (come back) after it has been treated. The cancer may come back in the brain, lung, or other parts of the body.

Certain factors can increase your risk of developing lung cancer, including:

• Smoking
• Exposure to secondhand smoke
• Air pollutants
• Radon exposure
• Asbestos exposure
• Exposure to arsenic, silica or chromium
• Tuberculosis and certain other chronic lung diseases
• Family history of lung cancer