肺癌是因肺部細胞不受控制地生長所引致。隨著細胞數量增多,便逐漸形成腫瘤1。肺是位於胸腔的器官,負責為身體供應氧氣,同時將二氧化碳排出體外。肺分爲左肺與右肺。右肺有三葉,左肺有兩葉。肺的主要結構包括氣管、支氣管、小支氣管和肺泡1。
大多數肺癌的形成都首先發生在支氣管內膜細胞1,肺癌是指肺中的癌細胞發生變化並開始不受控制地生長時。 這些細胞增加並形成腫瘤,且有可能擴散到身體的其他部位2。如欲瞭解更多資料,請參見肺癌種類和分期一節。
肺癌是最常見的癌症之一,也是全球與本港的頭號致命癌症殺手3,4。2019 年,本港有5,575 宗肺癌新症,並共有 4,033 人死於肺癌,佔全港癌症死亡率的 27.1%4,5。如欲了解更多有關肺癌的成因,請參見肺癌風險與成因一節。
1. American Cancer Society. What Is Lung Cancer? Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/about/what-is.html. Accessed: 1 Mar 2021.
2. Irish Cancer Society. What is lung cancer. Available at: https://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information-and-support/cancer-types/lung-cancer. Accessed: 1 Mar 2021.
3. World Health Organization. Cancer. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer. Accessed: 1 Mar 2021.
4. Hong Kong Cancer Registry. Hong Kong Top 10 Incidence of 2018. Available at: https://www3.ha.org.hk/cancereg/tc/top10incidence.html. Accessed: 1 Mar 2021
5. Hong Kong Cancer Registry. Overview of Hong Kong Cancer Statistics of 2019. Available at: https://www3.ha.org.hk/cancereg/tc/topten.html. Accessed: 1 Mar 2021.