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 usually develops over a period of years. Many people assume lung cancer is a disease that strikes suddenly, but this is rarely the case. To start with there is often areas of pre-cancerous changes in the lung.
This means these changes don't turn into a mass or tumour at this stage and they can't be seen on an x-ray. It is at this stage the cancer is usually operable and therefore curable, but because there are usually no symptoms, it is usually missed.
These pre-cancerous changes usually progress to an aggressive type of cancer. As a cancer develops new blood vessels form to nurture the cancer cells. Ultimately, a tumour develops and grows big enough to see on x-rays. Once it gets to a certain stage, bits from the tumour cut loose and spread to other parts of the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system. This development is called metastasis.
Unfortunately Lung cancer is a predominantly life-threatening disease because it has usually spread to other parts of the body before it can be detected on a chest x-ray.
Lung Cancers are divided into two major types,
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC),
Which type is recognized is reliant on how the cells seem when they are examined. However, there are also other types of lung cancer. Each type of lung cancer grows and spreads in different ways and requires different treatments, so it's important that doctors get it right.
In very rare cases, the lung cancer cells may have characteristics of both types of lung cancer, and in this case it is called a Mixed Small Cell/Large Cell Carcinoma (MSCLCC).
About 13% of all lung cancers are Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC), and these tend to spread widely through the body. This means management of the cancer should include drugs to kill the widespread disease.
Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) cells can replicate quickly to form large tumours which can spread to the patient's lymph nodes and other organs in his body such as the adrenal glands, bones, brain and liver. If this happens, the prognosis usually becomes very poor for the patient, and they can die quite quickly.
Small cell lung cancer is caused by smoking. It is very unusual for someone who has never smoked to develop small cell lung cancer.
About 87% of all lung cancers are Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), of which there are three main types. These types of NSCLC are characterised by the size, shape, and chemical composition of the cells that form the cancer.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma: is also known as Epidermoid Carcinoma. It accounts for around 25% - 30% of all lung cancers, and is associated with a history of smoking. This cancer is nearly always found in the central chest area, near the bronchus.
Adenocarcinoma: This cancer accounts for about 40% of all lung cancers, and is to be found in the external region of the lung. Individuals with Adenocarcinoma known as Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma have a tendency to have a better outcome of successful treatment and recovery than those with any other types of lung cancer.
Large-Cell Undifferentiated Carcinoma: This type of cancer accounts for about 10% - 15% of lung cancers, and may emerge in any part of the lung. This type of cancer tends to grow and spread very quickly, resulting in a poor prognosis for the patient.
In addition to the two main types of lung cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC), other tumours can develop in the lungs.
Carcinoid Tumours account for about 5% of lung tumours. Some of these are non-cancerous. For the most part carcinoid tumours are slow-growing tumours called Typical Carcinoid Tumours. These can be successfully treated with surgery.
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.