Lung Cancer - Treatment & Symptom

Lung Cancer is defined as an uncontrolled growth of cancer cells in the lungs. Lung cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the US and a leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. Lung cancer can spread to other parts of the body, most often to the liver, brain, bones, and other parts of the lungs, including the outer lining (called the pleura). Cancer from other parts of the body may also spread to the lungs, but this is not called lung cancer. Lung cancer is among the most common cancers in the Western world. In the United States, there were approximately 170,000 new cases of lung cancer in 1999. Since the mid-1990s, about 150,000 Americans have died each year from this disease. Lung cancer is the leading category of cancer death in men, and - since the late 1980s - it has surpassed breast cancer as the leading category of cancer death in women.

Many lung cancers start in the cells lining the bronchi and are called carcinomas of the bronchus or bronchogenic carcinomas . The right lung has three main areas (known as lobes) and the left lung has two lobes. When you breathe in, air passes from your nose or mouth through the windpipe ( trachea ), which divides into two tubes (airways), one going to each lung. These are known as the right and left bronchus and they divide to form smaller tubes called bronchioles, which carry air through the lungs. At the end of the bronchioles are millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli. In the alveoli, oxygen is absorbed from the air and passes into the bloodstream to be circulated around the body. See the Figure given :

Causes of Lung Cancer

1. Cigarette smoking - 20 cigarettes a day for 20 years.
2. Environmental pollution.
3. Asbestos dust.

Types of Lung Cancers

There are a number of different varieties of lung cancer in humans. Such histopathologic, or diseased tissue, types include:small cell carcinoma ("oat cell carcinoma"), a cancer composed of anaplastic (unspecialized, undifferentiated) small cells

• squamous cell carcinoma, cancer of the layered, squamous epithelium (surface cells) of the lungs or bronchi
• adenocarcinoma, cancer of the glandular tissue, or cancer in which the tumor cells form recognizable glandular patterns
• large cell carcinoma, cancer composed of large-sized cells that are anaplastic in nature and often arise in the bronchi
• broncho-alveolar carcinoma
• mixed and undifferentiated pulmonary carcinomas

Symptoms of Lung Cancer

The symptoms of lung cancer may include any of the following:

• a continuing cough, or change in a long-standing cough
• a chest infection that does not get better
• increasing breathlessness
• coughing up blood-stained phlegm ( sputum )
• a hoarse voice
• a dull ache, or a sharp pain, when you cough or take a deep breath
• loss of appetite and loss of weight
• difficulty swallowing
• excessive tiredness (fatigue) and lethargy.

Diagnosis of Lung Cancer

Your health care provider will review your symptoms and examine you. A chest x-ray will be taken to check for any abnormalities in your lungs. You may also be asked to take samples of phlegm (sputum) to the hospital, so that they can be examined under a microscope for cancer cells - this is known as sputum cytology. A sample of sputum may show if cancer cells are present. Most people begin by seeing their GP when they develop symptoms. Your GP will examine you and arrange for you to have tests or x-rays. Your GP may need to refer you to the hospital for these tests, and for specialist advice and treatment. Some of the following tests also will be done:

• chest x-rays
• CT scans of your chest
• CT or other scans of other parts of your body to look for spread of the disease, such as the liver, bones, and brain
• blood tests.

If x-rays or scans show a suspicious area in the lung, a sample of cells can also be taken for testing (a biopsy). Biopsies can be done by:

• numbing the area and putting a thin needle through the chest wall
• passing a slim, flexible, lighted tube called a bronchoscope into an airway of the lung to see and sample abnormal areas (a procedure called a bronchoscopy)
• surgery to remove abnormal tissue.

Clinical Features of Lung Cancer

1. Chronic cough.
2. Hemoptysis.
3. Unusual weight loss of more than 10% of the body weight.
4. Localized wheezing.
5. Localized chest pain.
6. Weakness and fatigue.

Lung Cancer Treatment

Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy may be used separately or together to treat lung cancer. Your doctor will plan your treatment by taking into account a number of things, including:

• your general health
• the type of lung cancer (small cell or non-small cell)
• the size and position of the tumour
• whether it has spread beyond the lung (its stage).

The characteristics of the lung tumor help to separate individuals into two groups: (1) those who are at low risk of cancer recurrence and (2) those who are at high risk of cancer recurrence. Specific prognostic - disease-forecasting - factors place patients in either of these groups. To help take care of yourself during your treatment and recovery, follow these guidelines:

• Do not smoke.
• Exercise according to your health care provider's recommendations.
• Eat regular, healthy meals, as recommended by your provider or dietitian.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Drink lots of liquids to keep your lung secretions moist and fluid.
• Develop a support system of people you can talk to comfortably. Ask for help at home or work when the load is too great to handle.
• Use methods to reduce stress that work for you, such as participating in recreational activities and hobbies, listening to music, or doing relaxation and deep breathing exercises.
• Discuss with your health care provider or a mental health professional the events in your life that make you anxious. Ask for help in developing ways to cope with these events.