Pulmonology Coding Alert

Acquaint Yourself With These Lung Cancer Basics

Any malignant growth that results from an uncontrolled and rapid growth of abnormal cells in the lung is known as lung cancer. Similarly, bronchus cancer is caused by abnormal growth of the tissue making up the respiratory system. Numerous surveys have held smoking (active or passive) as one of the major contributors to lung cancer.

There are three types of lung cancer: 

Non-Small cell lung cancer(NSCLC): This is the most common type of lung cancer. About 85 percent of diagnosed lung cancers are of the non-small cell type. Subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer include squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.

Small cell lung cancer: Small cell lung cancer is also known as oat cell cancer. About 10-15 percent of lung cancers are small cell lung cancers. This type is the more aggressive type and frequently spreads to other sites such of the body.

Lung carcinoid tumor: Fewer than 5 percent of lung cancers are lung carcinoid tumors. They are also sometimes called lung neuroendocrine tumors. Most of these tumors grow slowly and rarely spread.

The site of origin decides the particular code for the cancer according to location.

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