Understanding Lung Cancer Prognosis

What Is Meant By Lung Cancer Prognosis?

In simple terms lung cancer prognosis means as to the outcome of the disease. The outcome can be either favorable or detrimental. So when it is being said or heard that the prognosis is good, this means that the disease process will be under control and the outcome will be good, whereas on the other when it is being said that the disease prognosis is not good, this means that the results would not be favorable and will turn detrimental. The prognosis in case of lung cancer is good when the lung cancer is being detected at early stages and the prognosis is poor if the lung cancer has metastasized or spread to other organs such as liver, bones, kidneys etc.

Which Clinician Is Well Informed About Lung Cancer Prognosis?

There are many variable fields in which the field of medicine has been branched out. There are primary healthcare providers who make the first level of care and know about all the fields to a certain degree, whereas a specialist is a person who has targeted one area and has been in it for years and years and his or her entire experience is in that area. The best person who can tell about the prognosis of the lung cancer is an oncologist and has been working in the field of oncology and keeping up with all the current research and details.

What Are The Facts On Which The Oncologist Will Deliver The Prognosis?

The prognosis is being communicated to the patient on the basis of facts. The facts that the oncologist will work on before explaining the prognosis will be the fact that whether the patient is suffering from the primary lung cancer or secondary lung cancer. The extent of disease, the organ systems it has involved and what are the histopathologic findings of the cancer. What treatments can be given, as well as to what is the response they are expecting, whether the cancer is malignant or benign, and what is the prior experience that they have regarding treating different patients going through the same disease course. Thus all these things make the basics of coming up with the prognosis of the disease, which are best delivered by an oncologist who knows the current researches and therapies introduced and can then tell the survival rate of the patient.

What Is The Importance Of Second Opinion?

A second opinion is always good to have. The primary oncologist explains all the things in detail, but there might be certain things that a person needs more clarification on, such as why can’t I go through the surgical process if the disease can be cured that way? So, there are many questions that can be there aside from the question mentioned earlier and it is best that the patient just gets his or her mind clear on the aspects that are unclear and are still questionable. So when a person should go for a second opinion, it is always best that all the questions that need to be asked must be written prior so that none is missed while visiting the surgeon or another oncologist. Be open and ask the questions openly. Look into all the options that can be offered in the second opinion and how the second opinion differs from the opinion of the primary oncologist. The interest of the individual to know more about his or her disease would always be most appreciated by the thoracic surgeon or an oncologist. The interest of the individual in the disease process is the guarantee that the patient will take almost all steps necessary to comply with the path set for the patient to take the therapies outlined for him.

What Are Other Factors That Are Considered For Prognosis?

There are other factors that are taken into consideration apart from the factors discussed above, which are familial history in which there is a clear evidence that the individual has a family history on his father’s side or the mother’s side of lung cancer. Gender of the patient is another important factor as the lung cancer occur more in men than women, examination of sputum also assists in the prognosis of the cancer particularly in case of lung cancers, which are accompanied by invasion into air passages. Radiographic studies are generally considered as significant criteria for lung cancer prognosis. If there is bone involvement, the lung cancer prognosis is based on the estimation of the minerals such as calcium in serum, as well as serum alkaline phosphatase. When the lung cancer extends into bone, the prognosis is pretty poor. Liver is also one of the organs where the cancer spreads and that can be known by checking the levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase along with checking the serum level of total proteins and serum albumin.

Bottom Line

The patients in whom the lung cancer is diagnosed at an early stage have a good prognosis, but the patients in whom the lung cancer has spread have a pretty poor prognostic level and have lesser survival rate.

LUNG CANCER

• Introduction
• Types of Lung Cancer
• Symptoms of Lung Cancer
• Who's at risk of Lung Cancer?
• Lung Cancer Diagnosis
• Staging Lung Cancer
• Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Alternative Lung Cancer Treatment
• Chemotherapy
• Early Detection Symptoms
• Recognition Of Early Symptoms
• Early Symptoms and Diagnosis
• Endstage Lung Cancer
• Lung Cancer Prognosis
• Stage 4 Lung Cancer
• Non Small Lung Cancer
• Treatment for Lung Cancer
• Lung Cancer Medications
• Side Effects of Lung Cancer Treatments
• Lung Cancer Care
• Questions to ask the doctor
• Adenocarcinoma Lung Cancer
• Lung Cancer Research
• Mesothelioma Asbestos Lung Cancer
• Metastatic Lung Cancer
• Oat Cell Lung Cancer
• Lung Cancer - A Deadly Result Due To Smoking
• Smoking and Lung Cancer
• Squamous Cell Lung Cancer