Lung Cancer

 

 What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer takes place when cells divide in the lungs uncontrollably, this is the cause of tumor growth. A tumor is a disease that can decrease the ability to breathe in a person, and it can spread into the whole body.

Lung cancer is the type of cancer that affects the lungs badly. This is the third most common type of cancer. It is also the main cause of death in the U.S. It is most common in males, this is proved by the American Cancer Society (ACS). The ratio of lung cancer in black males is 12% more likely to develop in white males.

The major risk of Lung cancer is smoking. Lung cancer may be the cause of death, and proper treatment and medical care can improve this disease.

Cancer may produce changes in the cell or else that are healthy. These cells are growing very fast.

Healthy cells are dying at a time, therefore cells are a buildup up too many cells, in cancer, cells grow continuously which comes as a result of tumors. In other words, the cause of tumors is the multiple division of cells in the body.

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Types of lung cancer

There are two types of lung cancer.

• Small-cell lung cancer(SCLC)
• Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Any person can develop lung cancer by smoking, inhaling chemicals, or other toxins.

NSCLC

There are about 84% of cases in the U.S. are NSCLC.

It is divided into three types:

• Adenocarcinoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Large cell carcinoma

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SCLC

There are around 13% of cases in the U.S. that are SCLC. This type may tend to grow faster than NSCLC.

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Symptoms of lung cancer

There are the following symptoms of lung cancer:

• Person’s voice changes, like hoarseness
• Produce chest infection, like bronchitis or pneumonia
• Lymph node or middle of the chest swell
• Cough that may be the start
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• There are other symptoms from which a person may suffer:
• Chest pain
• Bone pain
• Bone fractures
• Headaches
• Blood clots
• Appetite loss
• Weight loss
• Fatigue

Stages

There are most basic forms of stages:

• Localized, hence cancer in a limited area
• Regional, therefore cancer spread in lymph nodes or near tissues
• Distant, so cancer spread to the other parts of the body

Stages of NSCLC

• Occult, and hidden: Cancer is not shown in imaging, but the cell may appear in Phlegm or mucus.
• Stage 0: In the airways, abnormal cells are present only at the top layers.
• Stage 1: In this tumor is present only in the lungs not in the other parts of the body.
• Stage 2: Tumor is present under 7 cm or spreads near lymph nodes or tissues.
•  Stage 3: Cancer spread to lymph nodes and can appear to be near other parts of the lung or surrounding area.
•  Stage 4: Cancer spread to other parts of the body like bones or the brain.

Stages of SCLC

This type has its own type. There are two types.

• Limited 

• Extensive

In the limited stage, cancer affects only one side of the chest, it is present in lymph nodes already.

It can be treated by radiation therapy.

In the extensive stage, cancer affects the other side of the chest. It may affect the whole body parts or another lung.

 

Complications

The patient may suffer from the following complications:

• Superior vena cava syndrome

• Metastasis

• Lung infection

• Heart blockage

• Hypercalcemia

• Blood clotting

• Neuropathy

• Spinal cord compression

Causes of lung cancer

• Exposure to chemicals like radon, diesel exhaust, or asbestos

• Environmental factors like air pollution

• Inherited or genetic changes

• Secondhand smoke

Treatment 

Treatment of lung cancer depends on the various factors:

• Type of cancer

• Location on which cancer acts or stage

• Person’s overall health

• Their preferences

There are some options include of treatment:

• Surgery to remove all lungs or part of lungs where cancer is present

• Chemotherapy, in which drug treatment takes place that can kill cells of cancer and tumors

• Radiation therapy, in which high radiations are bombarded to kill cells of cancer

• Targeted therapy, which is used to control tumor growth

• Immunotherapy, which helps to fight cancer cells

• Palliative therapy, includes pain relief, oxygen therapy, and other help which should be needed to patient manage their symptoms