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Lung Cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs. These cells can form tumors that interfere with the functions of the lung, (i.e. providing oxygen to the body). Sometimes cancer will travel from one part of the body or metastasize to the lungs. This is called secondary lung cancer.
Know What To Look For
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are the two major types of lung cancer. NSCLC cancer makes up 90% of lung cancers and types include adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. NSCLC is less responsive to chemotherapy than SCLC, which tends to grow quicker than NSCLC cancers.
Mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers, affects the lining of the lungs and abdomen.
Lung cancer is one of the most preventable, though most deadly, cancers in men and women around the world.
- Signs and Symptoms
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Warning signs of lunch cancer include:
- Coughing, especially if it persists or increases in intensity
- Pain in the chest, shoulder or back unrelated to coughing
- A change in color or volume of sputum (saliva and mucus)
- Shortness of breath
- Changes in the voice
- Coughing up blood
If the lung cancer has spread, a person may feel symptoms in other parts of the body such as other parts of the lungs, lymph nodes, brain, liver, bones and adrenal glands.
- Diagnosis Of Lung Cancer
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Screening Tests
Lung cancer screening is recommended only for those without any symptoms but at high risk for developing the disease because of smoking history and age.
- Low-dose computed tomography: Also called a low-dose CT scan, or LDCT. An X-ray machine scans the body and uses low doses of radiation to photograph the lungs. Studies have, so far, shown that only LDCT scans reduce the risk of death from lung cancer in populations considered high-risk.
- Sputum Cytology: A sample of phlegm is examined under a microscope for the presence of cancer cells.
- Talking With Your Doctor
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Your doctor may refer you to a pulmonologist, thoracic surgeon or oncologist for lung cancer treatment. However, physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), nurses, nutrition specialists, social workers and other health and hospital professionals may be a part of your treatment plan.
Some questions you might consider asking a health professional include:
- What kind of lung cancer do I have?
- Where exactly is the cancer? Has it spread beyond where it started?
- What is the stage of my cancer, and what does that mean in my case?
- Will I need any other tests before we can decide on treatment?
- Have the cancer cells been checked for gene changes that could affect my treatment options?
- Causes And Risk Factors Of Lung Cancer
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The best way to reduce your risk of lung cancer is to not smoke and avoid secondhand smoke.
Some causes of lung cancer are:
- Smoking, or inhalation of secondhand smoke
- Asbestos fibers (mesothelioma)
- Radon gas
- Outdoor air pollution
- Genetics
- Prevention Of Lung Cancer
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Ways to reduce your chances of lung cancer include:
- Smoking cessations
- Wearing protective equipment when working with asbestos
- Proper ventilation of radon gas
- Treatment Options For Lung Cancer
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For patients with NSCLC, treatment options - either alone or in combination - include:
- Surgery
- Radiation
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted Treatments
- Immunotherapy
For patients with SCLC treatment options include:
- Surgery
- Preventive Radiation Therapy
- Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy
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