Lung Cancer - Follow up Care
Follow-up care is very important after any treatment for lung cancer. This is because patients should be carefully monitored for any side effects or recurrence of their condition.
Regular follow-up checkups are required to ensure any changes in the patient's health or symptoms are quickly noted. If any cancer symptoms return or a new cancer develops, then it can be spotted, analysed, and treated as soon as possible.
Follow-up checkups include physical examinations, chest x-rays, and/or laboratory tests. It's important that it is reiterated to the patient how important these follow up tests are and that they attend them on a regular basis.
It should also be reiterated to patients that in-between these follow-up checkups, they should report any other health problems or symptoms to their doctor as soon as they appear as if there is any indication that any cancer is returning, then immediate treatment is required.
In addition to regular follow-up checkups, emotional support is also required after treatment for lung cancer. The word Cancer can have a profound effect on many people, and living with any serious disease can be challenging. Living with cancer is particularly challenging.
In addition to having to cope with shock of coming to grips with the fact that they have cancer, cancer sufferers also have to endure the physical and medical challenges during and following cancer treatment. As a result, people with cancer or who have suffered from cancer may also face many fears, worries, and concerns that can make their lives, and the lives of those around them, far more difficult than before the cancer was discovered.
Cancer patients may need help coping with the emotional as well as the practical aspects of their disease. As part of a patients treatment plan, patients are counselled on how to cope with the emotional and psychological burden of having cancer and receiving treatment for cancer.
Patients may receive a range of support from their health care team (doctors, nurses, social workers, and others), various cancer support groups, and patient-to-patient networks. This support can help people feel less alone and upset, and can help improve the quality of their lives.
Cancer support groups provide a safe, supportive environment where cancer patients can discuss their experiences with cancer and cancer treatment with others who may be going through, or have already gone through, similar experiences.
Cancer patients can ease their burden and improve their attitude towards cancer by seeking out and participating in these support groups. Your doctor will be able to advise you on what support groups and services are available in your local area.
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.