Lung Cancer vs Actinic Keratosis
Lung Cancer and Actinic Keratosis are easy to mix up on the boards. Here's a side-by-side comparison — presentation, workup, imaging, and first-line treatment — drawn from our full outlines.
Lung Cancer vs Actinic Keratosis at a glance
- Lung Cancer: Leading cause of cancer death — NSCLC (~85%) and SCLC (~15%) with distinct biology and treatment.
- Actinic Keratosis: UV-induced precancerous keratinocyte lesion on sun-damaged skin; ~10% lifetime risk of progression to invasive SCC per lesion.
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Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Lung Cancer | Actinic Keratosis |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | Leading cause of cancer death — NSCLC (~85%) and SCLC (~15%) with distinct biology and treatment. | UV-induced precancerous keratinocyte lesion on sun-damaged skin; ~10% lifetime risk of progression to invasive SCC per lesion. |
| Classic presentation | Pancoast tumor: shoulder pain + Horner syndrome + arm weakness. SVC syndrome with right upper lobe mass. Hypercalcemia in squamous cell. SIADH or Cushing in… | Gritty sandpaper-textured pink scaly papule on a sun-damaged background of an older fair-skinned adult.; Usually asymptomatic; some lesions tender or pruritic… |
| Workup / key labs | Definitive diagnosis requires tissue (histology + molecular and immunohistochemistry). TNM staging (8th edition) for NSCLC; SCLC traditionally classified as… | Clinical: characteristic rough scaly papule on sun-damaged skin of older adult; biopsy if suspicion of SCC.; Clinical diagnosis sufficient for typical… |
| Imaging | Chest CT with contrast — characterize mass, mediastinal nodes, pleural disease; PET-CT — staging (FDG avidity, distant metastases); MRI brain — staging for… | Not indicated |
| First-line treatment | NSCLC Stage I-II (early): surgical resection (lobectomy preferred, VATS) + mediastinal nodal sampling; SBRT for non-surgical candidates; NSCLC Stage III:… | Lesion-directed therapy for isolated AKs:; • Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen — 5-10 seconds per lesion; most common; cure ~67-83%; possible hypopigmentation;… |
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