An overview of Lung Cancer

Unchecked cell division in your lungs is what causes the condition known as lungcancer. Your cells naturally divide and create additional copies of themselves.Nevertheless, occasionally they experience modifications (mutations) that lead themto continue producing more of themselves when they shouldn't be. The uncontrolleddivision of damaged cells results in tissue tumors, which eventually prevent yourorgans from functioning properly.

The term "lung cancer" refers to cancers that begin in the lungs, typically in thebronchi or bronchioles or small air sacs (alveoli). The location of the cancer'sorigin determines how it is commonly referred to (your healthcare professional mayuse the term "cancer that is metastatic to your lungs").

Doctors divide lung cancer into two major types based on the appearance of lungcancer cells under the microscope. Your doctor makes treatment decisions based onwhich major type of lung cancer you have.

The two general types of lung cancer include:

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) : is the most common type of lung cancer.It accounts for over 80% of lung cancer cases. Common types include adenocarcinomaand squamous cell carcinoma. Adenosquamous carcinoma and sarcomatoid carcinoma aretwo less common types of NSCLC.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) : Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) grows morequickly and is harder to treat than NSCLC. It’s often found as a relatively smalllung tumor that’s already spread to other parts of your body. Specific types of SCLCinclude small cell carcinoma (also called oat cell carcinoma) and combined smallcell carcinoma.

Other types of cancer in the lungs : Other types of cancer can start in oraround your lungs, including lymphomas (cancer in your lymph nodes), sarcomas(cancer in your bones or soft tissue) and pleural mesothelioma (cancer in the liningof your lungs). These are treated differently and usually aren’t referred to as lungcancer.

Cells that should not divide continuously give rise to lung cancer. While celldivision is a normal process, every cell has an internal off switch that, whenrequired, prevents cell division (senescence) or causes cell death (apoptosis). Whena cell divides or undergoes too many changes, the off switch is tripped (mutations).

Cancer cells are regular body cells that have undergone mutations lost their abilityto turn off. Uncontrolled cell growth interferes with your normal cells. Cancercells have the ability to enter your lymph nodes or circulation and spreadthroughout your body.

We’re not sure what causes these changes that lead to cancer in some people and notothers, but certain factors, including smoking tobacco products, can put you athigher risk for damage to your cells that can cause lung cancer.

Most lung cancer symptoms look similar to other, less serious illnesses. Many peopledon’t have symptoms until the disease is advanced, but some people have symptoms inthe early stages. For those who do experience symptoms, it may only be one or a fewof these:

1. A cough that doesn’t go away or gets worse over time.

2. Trouble breathing or shortness of breath (dyspnea).

3. Chest pain or discomfort.

4. Wheezing.

5. Coughing up blood (hemoptysis).

6. Hoarseness.

7. Loss of appetite.

8. Unexplained weight loss.

9. Unexplained fatigue (tiredness).

10. Shoulder pain.

11. Swelling in the face, neck, arms or upper chest (superior vena cava syndrome).

12. Small pupil and drooping eyelid in one eye with little or no sweating on thatside of your face (Horner’s syndrome).

Although it is not possible to prevent all lung cancers, there are several steps aperson can take to reduce their risk of the condition. These include the following:

Quit smoking, if applicable : According to the ACS, quitting smoking can lowerthe risk of lung cancer, regardless of a person’s age or how long they have smoked.

Avoid secondhand smoke : Breathing in smoke can cause numerous health issuesand may increase the risk of lung cancer.

Follow a balanced diet : Eating a variety of nutrient-dense fruits andvegetables may help protect against lung cancer.

Avoid exposure to radon : Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that can causelung cancer. Testing kits are available to measure radon levels at home.Additionally, individuals who work in areas with a higher risk of radon exposureshould follow all recommended safety procedures to minimize health hazards.

Lung cancer diagnosis may involve several steps. At your initial visit to ahealthcare professional, they will often listen to your symptoms, inquire about yourmedical history, and conduct a physical examination (like listening to your heartand lungs). Your doctor may begin by ordering blood tests and a chest X-ray becausethe symptoms of lung cancer are similar to those of many other, less seriousconditions.

The following steps in diagnosing if your doctor feels you may have lung cancertypically entail additional imaging tests, such a CT scan, and eventually a biopsy.A PET/CT scan can be used to identify whether the cancer has spread, and testing onmalignant tissue taken from a biopsy can help doctors decide on the best course oftreatment.

Treatments for lung cancer are designed to get rid of cancer in your body or slowdown its growth. Treatments can remove cancerous cells, help to destroy them or keepthem from multiplying or teach your immune system to fight them. Some therapies arealso used to reduce symptoms and relieve pain. Your treatment will depend on thetype of lung cancer you have, where it is, how far it’s spread and many otherfactors.

Surgery :NSCLC that hasn’t spread and SCLC that’s limited to a single tumorcan be eligible for surgery. Your surgeon might remove the tumor and a small amountof healthy tissue around it to make sure they don’t leave any cancer cells behind.Sometimes they have to remove all or part of your lung (resection) for the bestchance that the cancer won’t come back.

Radiation therapy : Radiation uses high energy beams to kill cancer cells. Itcan be used by itself or to help make surgery more effective. Radiation can also beused as palliative care, to shrink tumors and relieve pain. It’s used in both NSCLCand SCLC.

Radiofrequency ablation : NSCLC tumors near the outer edges of your lungs aresometimes treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA uses high-energy radiowaves to heat and destroy cancer cells.

Chemotherapy : Chemotherapy is often a combination of multiple medicationsdesigned to stop cancer cells from growing. It can be given before or after surgeryor in combination with other types of medication, like immunotherapy. Chemotherapyfor lung cancer is usually given through an IV.

Immunotherapy : Our bodies usually recognize cells that are damaged or harmfuland destroy them. Cancer has ways to hide from the immune system to keep from beingdestroyed. Immunotherapy reveals cancer cells to your immune system so your own bodycan fight cancer.

Treatments to ease symptoms (palliative care) : Some lung cancer treatmentsare used to relieve symptoms, like pain and difficulty breathing. These includetherapies to reduce or remove tumors that are blocking airways, and procedures toremove fluid from around your lungs and keep it from coming back.