Biopsy - A test in which a piece of tissue is removed either by surgery or through a needle and examined under a microscope to determine if the cells are cancerous and to identify the type of cancer. Chemotherapy - Treatment with anticancer drugs. Clinical Trial - A study conducted with cancer patients, usually to evaluate new treatments such as surgery, drugs, or radiation techniques, although methods of prevention, detection, or diagnosis may also be the subject of such studies. Sputum Cytology - Examination under a microscope of cells coughed up from the lungs or breathing tubes. Staging - A classification system used to describe how much the cancer has spread.
Cancer cells are present in lung secretions but no tumor can be found in the lung.
It has not grown through the surface lining of the lung. Another term for this type of lung cancer is carcinoma in situ. The cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Tumor - An abnormal mass of tissue that results from excessive cell division. Tumors perform no useful body function.