Each year, over 200,000 people
will be diagnosed with lung cancer, and nearly 160,000 people will die of the
disease. More men and women die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer.
In fact, each year, the number of people dying of lung cancer is similar to the
number of deaths caused by correctable, breast, pancreas and prostate cancers
combined.
Lung Cancer Risk Factors
Smoking is responsible for more
than 80 percent of lung cancers, but there are other risk factors too,
including exposure to cancer-causing substances in the environment. Lung cancer
is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. More than 75
percent of people with lung cancer have incurable, locally advanced or
metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, and a five-year survival rate of
less than 5 percent. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance has launched a Low-Dose CT
Screening Program for people at high risk for lung cancer.
If there's reason to think that you may have lung cancer, your doctor can order a number of tests to look for cancerous cells and to rule out other conditions. In order to diagnose lung cancer, your doctor may recommend:
- Are you worried that you might be at
risk for lung cancer?
- Have you been told recently that you
have a “pulmonary nodule," a “lung mass”or“enlarged lymph nodes in
your lungs”?
- Do you have a chronic cough, one
that won't go away, or blood in your sputum, chest pain?
- Have you experienced any weight loss
recently or loss of appetite?
Lung Cancer Risk Factors
Smoking is responsible for more
than 80 percent of lung cancers, but there are other risk factors too,
including exposure to cancer-causing substances in the environment. Lung cancer
is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. More than 75
percent of people with lung cancer have incurable, locally advanced or
metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, and a five-year survival rate of
less than 5 percent. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance has launched a Low-Dose CT
Screening Program for people at high risk for lung cancer.
Tests
to diagnose lung cancer
If there's reason to think that you may have lung cancer, your doctor can order a number of tests to look for cancerous cells and to rule out other conditions. In order to diagnose lung cancer, your doctor may recommend:
- Imaging tests. An X-ray image
of your lungs may reveal an abnormal mass or nodule. A CT scan can reveal
small lesions in your lungs that might not be detected on an X-ray.
- Sputum cytology. If you have a
cough and are producing sputum, looking at the sputum under the microscope
can sometimes reveal the presence of lung cancer cells.
- Tissue sample
(biopsy).
A sample of abnormal cells may be removed in a procedure called a biopsy.
Your doctor can perform a biopsy in a number of ways, including
bronchoscopy, in which your doctor examines abnormal areas of your lungs
using a lighted tube that's passed down your throat and into your lungs;
mediastinoscopy, in which an incision is made at the base of your neck and
surgical tools are inserted behind your breastbone to take tissue samples
from lymph nodes; and needle biopsy, in which your doctor uses X-ray or CT
images to guide a needle through your chest wall and into the lung tissue
to collect suspicious cells. A biopsy sample may also be taken from lymph
nodes or other areas where cancer has spread, such as your liver.
Staging
tests may include imaging procedures that allow your doctor to look for
evidence that cancer has spread beyond your lungs. These tests include CT
scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and
bone scans. Not every test is appropriate for every person, so talk with your
doctor about which procedures are right for you.
Stages
of lung cancer
- Stage I. Cancer is
limited to the lung and hasn't spread to the lymph nodes. The tumor is
generally smaller than 2 inches (5 centimeters) across.
- Stage II. The tumor at
this stage may have grown larger than 2 inches, or it may be a smaller
tumor that involves nearby structures, such as the chest wall, the
diaphragm or the lining around the lungs (pleura). Cancer may also have
spread to the nearby lymph nodes.
- Stage III. The tumor at
this stage may have grown very large and invaded other organs near the
lungs. Or this stage may indicate a smaller tumor accompanied by cancer
cells in lymph nodes farther away from the lungs.
- Stage IV. Cancer has
spread beyond the affected lung to the other lung or to distant areas of
the body.
Small
cell lung cancer is sometimes described as being limited or extensive. Limited
indicates cancer is limited to one lung. Extensive indicates cancer has spread
beyond the one lung.
Treatment for Lung Cancer at World Best Hospitals in India
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