Lung cancer is the chief cause of cancer deaths for both men and women - Lung cancer facts

Lung cancer is a common form of cancer. It is the chief cause of cancer deaths for both men and women, although the rate of lung cancer is declining significantly for men. more than 163,000 people die from lung cancers each year.

Lung cancer is considered to be the most tragic type of cancer because, in most cases, it could have been prevented. Smoking tobacco is responsible for 87 percent of lung cancers. The risk of dying from lung cancer is 22 times higher for men who smoke and 12 times higher for women who smoke than it is for people who never smoked.

Lung cancer is cancer of the lungs. Like other parts of the body, the lungs are made up of many types of cells. Cells divide in an orderly, controlled way to produce more cells when more cells are needed in the body. When cells divide in an abnormal, uncontrolled way, they can form either a benign or malignant tumor:

• Benign tumors are not cancerous. They are rarely life-threatening.
• Malignant tumors are cancerous. Cancer cells can spread to nearby healthy cells and destroy them. The cancerous cells can also invade other parts of the body. Cancerous cells in the lungs can spread to the lymph glands, which are located nearby. The cancer can also spread to other parts of the body.

Lung cancers can be divided into two main types: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. The cancer cells of each type grow and spread in different ways, and they are treated differently.

Non-small cell lung cancer

Most lung cancers are non-small cell. There are three main types of non-small cell lung cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.

• For men, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common kind of lung cancer. It does not spread as quickly as other types, and it usually starts in the bronchi.
• For women and for nonsmokers, the most common type of lung cancer is adenocarcinoma. It usually starts around the outer edges of the lungs and under the lining of the bronchi.
• A group of cancers with large, abnormal cells -- large cell carcinomas -- also usually begins around the outer edges of the lungs.  

Small cell lung cancer

About 15 to 20 percent of the newly diagnosed lung cancer cases are small-cell carcinomas -- a type of lung cancer in which the cells are small and round. It is also sometimes called "oat cell" lung cancer. This type of cancer grows rapidly and quickly spreads to other organs.

There are usually no signs or symptoms in lung cancer. 

The main symptoms of lung cancer are listed below:

• A cough that doesn’t go away after two or three weeks
• A long-standing cough that gets worse
• Persistent chest infections
• Coughing up blood
• Persistent breathlessness
• Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss

The treatments for lung cancer depend on the stage of the cancer, personal characteristics, health status, type of the cancer and age. A number of therapies are provided to a patient as there is no single treatment available for lung cancer. Radiation, surgery and chemotherapy are considered as the major lung cancer treatment.

Surgery : One of the oldest methods for treating lung cancer is surgery. The surgical removal of the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes is done if there is I or II stage cancer that has not metastasized. Palliative or curative are the two types of lung cancer surgeries. Palliative surgery may not remove cancer but can remove an open airway or obstruction that was making the patient uncomfortable. Curative surgery removes all types of cancerous tissue in those patients who are in early stage lung cancer.

Chemoembolization:Strong chemicals are used in chemotherapy that interferes with cell division process and damages DNA or proteins. The aim of these treatments is to rapidly divide the cells. The normal cells can be recovered from any chemical-induced damage whereas cancer cells cannot be recovered. The medicines in chemotherapy travel in a systematic way by passing from the complete body and destroying the original tumor cells that have spread in the whole body. Usually many therapies are combined that also includes many types of chemotherapy.

Radiation Therapy :Radiation therapy may be employed as a treatment for both NSCLC and SCLC. Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill dividing cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be given as curative therapy, palliative therapy (using lower doses of radiation than with curative therapy), or as adjuvant therapy in combination with surgery or chemotherapy. Radiation therapy generally only shrinks a tumor or limits its growth when given as a sole therapy, yet in 10%-15% of people it leads to long-term remission and palliation of the cancer. Combining radiation therapy with chemotherapy can further prolong survival when chemotherapy is administered. External radiation therapy can generally be carried out on an outpatient basis, while internal radiation therapy requires a brief hospitalization.

Targeted Therapy :Targeted therapy drugs more specifically target cancer cells, resulting in less damage to normal cells than general chemotherapeutic agents. Erlotinib and gefitinib target a protein called the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that is important in promoting the division of cells. This protein is found at abnormally high levels on the surface of some types of cancer cells, including many cases of non-small cell lung cancer.

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Lung Cancer Early Detection & Diagnose - Treatment for Lung Cancer

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.

• 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?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, and are a current or former smoker are at the highest risk for lung cancer, former smokers are also at risk for lung cancer. Nearly 60 percent of all lung cancers are diagnosed in people who have already stopped smoking.

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.

Lung cancer staging

Once your lung cancer has been diagnosed, your doctor will work to determine the extent, or stage, of your cancer. Your cancer's stage helps you and your doctor decide what treatment is most appropriate.

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

Treatment of Lung cancer is depends on the type and stage of cancer. Lung cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of these treatments. The decision about which treatments will be appropriate for a given individual must take into account the location and extent of the tumor as well as the overall health status of the patient. Surgery for Lung Cancer: If your cancer has not spread beyond the lungs, your general health is reasonably good and your breathing capacity is sufficient, the treatment that gives the best chance of cure is surgery. The most common operation is called a lobectomy, removes the affected part of the lung. Sometimes, the whole lung needs to be removed and this is called a pneumonectomy. In patients with reduced lung function, smaller parts of the lung are removed to try to preserve breathing capacity. While these operations preserve breathing capacity, there is more likely to be a recurrence. Your doctor will advise you of the best operation for you. Chemotherapy: This is the treatment of cancer with anti-cancer drugs. The aim is to destroy cancer cells while doing the least possible damage to normal cells. The drugs work by stopping cancer cells from multiplying. Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for patients with small cell carcinoma. As this type of cancer spreads quickly, chemotherapy works well in treating it. Radiotherapy: Radiotherapy treats cancer by using radiation to destroy or inhibit cancer cells. The radiation can be targeted onto cancer sites in your body. Treatment is carefully planned to do as little harm as possible to your normal body tissue.Treatment is painless and may take only two to three minutes. Usually, radiotherapy is given as a number of treatments over a period of weeks.

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