Adenocarcinoma (A-deh-noh-KAR-sih-NOH-muh) starts in the cells that line the alveoli (tiny air sacs).
About half of all NSCLCs are adenocarcinomas. It’s the most common lung cancer among smokers, nonsmokers, and people under age 45. More women than men have adenocarcinomas not linked to smoking.
We treat very early lung adenocarcinomas with resection (surgery) or radiation alone. For stage 2 or 3, you may have chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or both. You may have surgery, radiation, or both.
We treat stage 4 with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or both. You may have targeted therapy.