2 . There Are Many Types of Pediatric Lung Cancer
3 . Doctors Don ' t Always Know What Causes Pediatric Lung Cancer
Because pediatric lung cancer is so uncommon , there are very few studies on it . Although there ’ s still a lot we don ’ t know , your child ’ s health care provider can help you find educational resources and where to get support .
2 . There Are Many Types of Pediatric Lung Cancer
Many types of cancer can affect the lungs . Non‐small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC ), one of the main categories of lung cancer , can develop in children . Although NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer overall , it ’ s less common in children compared to adults . Children can also develop small cell lung cancer , although this is rare .
The main lung cancer types can be further broken down into smaller categories — or subtypes — based on how the cancer cells look under a microscope . Lung tumors that most commonly affect children include :
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Pleuropulmonary blastoma Carcinoid tumors Adenocarcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma Neuroendocrine tumor Mucoepidermoid carcinoma Atypical carcinoma
Although the different lung cancer subtypes can affect both children and adults , children are more commonly diagnosed with lung cancer tumor types that rarely occur in adults .
3 . Doctors Don ' t Always Know What Causes Pediatric Lung Cancer
It ’ s not always clear why some children develop lung cancer . The diagnosis is so rare that it ’ s hard for researchers to understand all of the possible causes . In some cases , however , the disease is linked to specific factors that can increase the risk of lung cancer .
Genetics
Genes are sections of our DNA that provide the instructions for our bodies to function . If certain mutations — or changes — happen in our genes , it can destroy the instructions and prevent processes in our bodies from working properly . Some gene mutations can be passed down from parents to their children .
If someone inherits certain gene mutations , it can increase their risk of developing lung cancer at a younger age . Some children with lung cancer may have a type of mutation called an ALK rearrangement . This mutation — which can be found in other types of cancers as well — can