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Lung Cancer - symptoms and Treatment
Excluding skin cancer, lung cancer is the MOST COMMON form of cancer in the United States. Although breast cancer is more common, the number of females who will die from lung cancer is predicted to be greater than the total number who will die from breast cancer.
The leading risk factor for lung cancer is smoking. Other environmental exposures can increase the lung cancer risk (i.e. asbestos and industrial chemicals), however, smoking remains the MAJOR risk factor.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
Common symptoms include: persistent cough, blood streaked sputum (mucus that you cough up), chest pains, recurrent pneumonia, and weight loss. Most individuals with early lung cancer will have few symptoms and often complain of "not feeling right."
Evaluation of Lung Cancer
Evaluation includes history and physical examination. A chest x-ray will be done to screen for "lung nodules" (spots on the x-ray that could indicate cancer). If a nodule is discovered on a chest film, follow-up chest x-rays may be done at 1 month intervals for evidence of growth (increased size of the nodule). Sputum specimens are studied under a microscope (sputum cytology) for presence of cancerous cells. Patients with questionable lung nodules on their chest x-ray may undergo bronchoscopy for definitive diagnosis. In this procedure, a lighted fiberoptic tube is passed down the throat and into the lungs. The physician navigates this tube through the various lung passageways, looking for any suspicious lesions. During this procedure, a biopsy (tissue specimen) may be taken for analysis under a microscope.
Lung Cancer Treatments
Treatment is based on the extent of the tumor has spread through the body and the overall "aggressiveness" of the tumor (the type of tumor is important). A number of different treatment modalities can be utilized, and often they are used in combination.
1. RADIATION THERAPY: Exposure to a focused, controlled radiation burst can shrink the tumor.
2. SURGICAL RESECTION: This will involve partial removal or complete removal of the lung. Surgery is used only in situations where the tumor is localized to the lung and has not spread to more distant areas (abdomen, brain, etc.).
3. CHEMOTHERAPY: This involves the use of chemical agents (administered intravenously) that "kill" the cancer cells throughout the body. This is a useful modality to treat the patient who has cancer that has spread beyond the lung. It should be mentioned that chemotherapy is not without its drug side effects.
NOTE: The cancer patient will require adequate nutrition throughout their course of treatment.
* The overall cure rate for lung cancer is still quite low, only about 9% of patients survive 5 years or more. By the time a cancerous nodule is identifiable on the chest x-ray, it is often well advanced. Early diagnosis remains difficult and patients with risk factors for lung cancer (smokers) require yearly physician evaluation and chest x-ray.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. STOP SMOKING: The evidence linking smoking to lung cancer (not to mention heart disease and stroke) is overwhelming.
2. Smokers should have at least an annual chest x-ray and physician evaluation.
3. Any suspicious symptoms (see above) require PROMPT physician evaluation.
4. Patients with an employment history of repeated exposure to asbestos (shipyard workers, construction workers) require yearly physician evaluation and chest x-ray.
Hope this article will provide you information about lung cancer.
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