FreeMesotheliomaInfo.com

Cancer is a disease in which certain body cells don’t function right, divide very fast, and produce too much tissue that forms a tumor. The lungs, a pair of sponge-like, cone-shaped organs, are part of the body’s respiratory system. When we breathe in, the lungs take in oxygen, which our cells need to live and carry out their normal functions. When we breathe out, the lungs get rid of carbon dioxide, which is a waste product of the body’s cells.Lung cancers manifest with symptoms produced by the primary tumor, locoregional spread, metastatic disease, or ectopic hormone production. See Image 1 for a summary of all signs and symptoms. Approximately 7-10% of patients with lung cancer are asymptomatic and their cancers are diagnosed incidentally after a chest radiograph (CXR) performed for other reasons. The symptoms produced by the primary tumor depend on its location (ie, central, peripheral).There are two main types of lung cancer, small cell and non small cell. Small cell is faster growing but chemo is quite successful with it… I know several people that are presently N.E.D. (no evidence of disease) that have small cell lung cancer. Its very rare to have surgery with small cell as its usually metastized by the time of diagnosis.Every smoker is at risk for lung cancer. It is estimated that 87% of all cases of lung cancer are caused by cigarette smoking. The major risk factor for lung cancer is cigarette smoking. Your risk of getting lung cancer from cigarette smoking increases the longer you smoke, the more you smoke, and the deeper you inhale. Smoking low tar cigarettes does not prevent you from getting lung cancer. Importantly, if you quit smoking, your risk of getting lung cancer declines.Tobacco use, particularly cigarette smoking, is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States. The number of deaths per year from smoking exceeds the number of deaths per year from all accidents, suicides, drug use, homicides and AIDS combined. An estimated 45 million U.S. adults are smokers, and more than a third of all U.S. high school students smoke cigarettes.Normal cells become cancer cells because the genes inside them are damaged.  In most cases of lung cancer, smoking causes this gene damage.  Cancer Research UK is investigating this gene damage.  We are researching why some smokers get cancer and some don’t.  If we know more about the genes that are damaged, it may help prevent the disease in the future.Women with lung cancer now have more treatment choices and hope than ever before. Doctors keep finding ways to improve treatments for lung cancer and ways to help women with lung cancer have better lives. We are continually learning more about lung cancer, its prevention, detection, and treatment. This section of CancerSource will discuss all of these areas. The Lung Cancer section below discusses what we know about lung cancer in general, as well as its prevention and detection.As is true of many cancers, the treatment of lung cancer depends upon a variety of factors. The most important factors are the histopathologic (diseased tissue) type of tumor that is present and its stage.

What is a Lung Cancer?Lung cancer is cancer that starts in the lungs. Cancer is a disease where cancerous cells grow out of control, taking over normal cells and organs in the body.Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women.An estimated 173,700 new cases of lung cancer and an estimated 160,440 deaths from lung cancer will occur in the United States during 2004.Causes of Lung CancerSmoking and Secondhand SmokeCigarette smoking causes lung cancer. In fact, smoking tobacco is the major risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% of lung cancer deaths in women are due to smoking.Some rare types of lung cancer are not related to smoking. Other causes include exposure to certain chemicals and substances, such as asbestos, uranium, chromium and nickel. These have all been linked to lung cancer but are very rare. Contact your local environmental health officer if you’re concerned.Symptoms of Lung CancerPeople often decide to visit the doctor only after they have been bothered by certain complaints over a period of time. Individuals who have lung cancer frequently experience symptoms such as the following:Up to one-fourth of all people with lung cancer may have no symptoms when the cancer is diagnosed.The symptoms are due to direct effects of the primary tumor, to effects of metastatic tumors in other parts of the body, or to disturbances of hormones, blood, or other systems caused by the cancer.Less common symptoms can include: swelling of the face or neck, pain under your ribs (right hand side), a hoarse voice, and trouble swallowing.Coughing up blood (hemoptysis) occurs in a significant number of people who have lung cancer. Any amount of coughed-up blood should cause alarm.Treatment of Lung CancerAn individual then has a better idea of the value of different forms of therapy. Other factors that are taken into account include the person’s general health, medical problems that may affect treatment (such as chemotherapy), and tumor characteristics.In some cases you may choose not to undergo treatment. For instance, you may feel that the side effects of treatment will outweigh the potential benefits. When that’s the case, your doctor may suggest comfort (palliative) care to treat only the symptoms the cancer is causing, such as pain.Once lung cancer is detected, a treatment plan is developed based on the patient’s physical health, whether the lung cancer is small cell or non-small cell and how extensively the cancer has spread. (See “Stages of Lung Cancer.”) Treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of two or more of these therapies.Medical TreatmentChemotherapy and radiation therapyChemotherapy and radiation may lead to a cure in a small number of patients. These therapies result in shrinking of the tumor and are known to prolong life for extended periods in most patients.Chemotherapy and radiation are very effective at relieving symptoms.After treatmentFollow-up care helps you and your health care team monitor your progress and your recovery from treatment. At first, your follow-up care may be managed by one of the specialists from your health care team. Later on it may be managed by your family doctor. The schedule of follow-up visits is different for each person. You might see your doctor more often in the first year after treatment, and less often after that.

Lung cancer occurs when abnormal cells begin to reproduce and attack the tissues of the lungs.
That’s the plain and simple explanation. Here’s a short expansion: in its normal life, a cell will grow, divide, proliferate and then die, all the while meeting the needs of your body. When one or more of these cells begin to reproduce on their own, without serving their original purpose within the body, they form a tumor or a cancer. This is a mutation that researchers don’t fully understand. Left unchecked, the cells will continue to reproduce and spread throughout the lung’s tissue and then into the other vital organs of the body.
In 2004, the last year in which statistics were available at the time of the writing of this article, approximately 158,000 US citizens died from lung cancer, more than breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostrate cancer combined. While the numbers continue to drop every year as new strides are made in treating the disease and educating people, this is still represents a major health problem.
The primary cause of most lung cancers is …
Yes, you guessed it … cigarette smoking. Or more precisely, the inhalation of the carcinogens contained within the smoke. If a smoker is also exposed to radon in the environment, well, that’s a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Beyond these two contributors, there is a form of lung cancer called mesothelioma, which results from exposure to asbestos. However, cigarette smoke continues to be the major causes behind most forms of lung cancer.
Lung Cancer Symptoms
Here are few things to be looking for if you’re concerned about the potential for lung cancer:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea)
- A cough that doesn’t go away and gets worse over time
- Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis
- Constant chest pain
- Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis)
- Swelling of the neck and face
- Fever
- Loss of appetite and weight loss (anorexia)
- Hoarse voice
Other symptoms can include repeated bouts of pneumonia, changes in the shape of the fingertips, and swollen or enlarged lymph nodes (glands) in the upper chest and lower neck. Any and all of these symptoms may be caused by lung cancer or by a range of other medical conditions. That is, the presence of one or more of these symptoms does not automatically mean that you have lung cancer. Which is why you need to visit with your physician if you have any concerns at all.
Forms of Lung Cancer
The two primary forms of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for approximately 80% of diagnosed lung cancer cases. Within this category of lung cancer, there are three main sub-categories … squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinomas, and large cell carcinomas. Sometimes two or even all three can appear together.
Small cell lung cancer is the less common of the two, which is good, because it’s also the more deadly. Smoking is the primary cause behind this form of lung cancer. SCLC is aggressive and fast-moving. It rapidly metastasizes to other organs, and is often not discovered until the cancer is already widespread throughout the body.
The Good News
Since prevention is always better than cure, it’s highly advisable to avoid the use tobacco. The best way to increase your odds of never encountering lung cancer is to never start smoking in the first place. However, if it’s already too late for you, there’s still some good news. You can gradually decrease your risk of the disease if you quit at any early age and your lungs are given 10 to 15 years to recover from the damage already imparted upon them.

Lung cancer staging refers to a system of classifying where the cancer is in its growth. This allows physicians a guide to help determine what treatments would be most effective and how aggressively those treatments should be administered. It is also a way of determining the potential outcome of a particular case of lung cancer. The lower the stage, the better the odds of a full recovery.
The process of deciding what stage a lung cancer has reached is called “staging the lung cancer.” This is accomplished through a series of tests, such as x-rays, blood tests, bone scans, etc. The goal is to determine the size of the tumor or tumors and if the cancer has spread to other tissues (metastasized). X-rays, MRIs and CAT scans help to determine the size and location of the tumors. Bone scans and blood work can help to determine whether the cancer has spread to other organs or to the bones. PET scans can indicate whether or not a tumor is actively growing.
Lung cancer staging is also dependent on the type of cancer. For instance, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), there are four stages, while in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) there are two … limited stage and extended stage. Here’s a quick overview to give you an idea of the differences between the various stages:
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage I: The cancer is confined to the lungs. This stage obviously offers the best prognosis. Lung cancer caught in this stage has better than a 49% five year survival rate.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage II: The cancer is confined to lung tissue and the lymph nodes within the lungs, the recovery rate is 40-50%
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage II: The tumors have spread from the lungs, but are confined to the chest area. Larger, more invasive tumors are generally diagnosed as belonging to this stage.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage IV: The cancer has spread away from the chest and invaded other parts of the body such as the liver, adrenal glands, bone, brain, and/or other sites.
Small Cell Lung Cancer Limited Stage: The cancer is confined to the chest area, and has not spread outside the point of origin.
Small Cell Lung Cancer Extended Stage: The cancer has spread beyond the chest to other parts of the body.
The treatment recommended by your doctor will take into account the stage of the lung cancer, as well as the size and location of the tumors and your general overall health. Of course, you’ll have input into how aggressively the cancer should be pursued and all that entails. More and more oncologists are coming to accept that the prognosis of a patient with lung cancer — as it is with any cancer patient — is profoundly affected by the patient’s attitude and decision making.

Lung cancer is a very serious form of cancer. It is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States. It can cause more deaths than any other cancer among men and women. Lung cancer makes up fourteen percent of the total cancer records and twenty-eight percent of cancer deaths in America.

This is because lung cancer is usually diagnosed when it is already in its advanced stage, thus controlling the disease becomes almost impossible.

The reason for this is that coughing, which is the most common early symptom of lung cancer is being neglected. Smokers associate coughing with mere itchiness in the throat.

Lung cancer involves uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lungs. This may cause the formation of mass called tumor.

Two types of lung cancer tumor are benign or non-cancerous and malignant or cancerous. Treatment of this disease depends on the status of the tumor whether it is benign or malignant. However, lung cancer generally has no cure; you can only lessen the symptom, which is the goal of the treatment for this serious health problem.

Even if all evidences points to smoking as the major cause of this disease, non-smokers may develop it as well. In other words, not all lung cancer patients are smokers. This is because breathing impure air is the real reason behind the disease.

Additionally, those non-smokers who receive cigarette smoke from nearby smokers may also develop lung cancer, this is known as second hand smoking.

Another cause of the disease is the exposure to asbestos ashes. Asbestos ashes may cause Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdominal cavity.
Two major types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer, or oat cell lung cancer as other doctors call it, accounts for twenty to twenty-five percent of cancers around the United States. This cancer is strongly linked to smoking.

The second type is non-small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer has three sub-divisions depending on the type of cell affected.

The three types of non-small lung cancer are Squamous cell carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma and large cell lung cancer.

Studies show that non-small cell lung cancer grows and spreads slower than its small cell counterpart, and like small cell lung cancer, the major cause of this is smoking.

There are various treatments for lung cancer, however the treatments are mainly dependent on the type of cancer, the stage of development and the condition of the patient.

If it is diagnosed in its early stage, lung cancer tumor may be removed and the disease can be brought into remission.

However, because symptoms of this cancer only show when the disease is already on its advanced stage, it is thus difficult to control its growth.

Additionally, as mentioned earlier treatments on lung cancer especially on its advanced stage are merely to lessen the symptoms, bringing it down to remission may be impossible at this stage. This is because other tumor cells may already be developing in other organs of the body.

Surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be helpful but it is actually not cure, it is merely to lessen or halt the growth and development of the cancer.

Avoiding smoking and too much exposure to impure air will help you avoid lung cancer. Reinforcing your immune system by regular exercise, well-balanced diet and taking vitamins will help you avoid the scare of lung cancer.

Always be aware of the condition of the air around you to make sure you will not develop this deadly disease.

Lung cancer is now the most common form of cancer in the United States. Lung cancer causes more death than any other cancer cases among men and women in this country. Fourteen percent of all cancer records in the United States are lung cancer cases and twenty-eight percent of cancer deaths are from lung cancer patients.

Major causes of lung cancers are cigarette smoking and breathing impure air including asbestos exposure. Asbestos exposure can lead to Mesothelioma, a cancer in the lining of the lungs or abdominal cavity.

Severity of lung cancer depends greatly to the amount of time a person spent smoking. As compared to non-smokers, smokers are at high risk of lung cancer. In fact, smokers are twenty-two percent more at risk of acquiring lung cancer than their non-smoking counterpart.

Additionally, because lung cancer symptoms do not manifest until it is already on its advanced stage, minor lung cancer symptoms are often ignored.

This is because minor lung cancer symptom such as frequent coughing is often associated with itchiness in the throat. Smokers believe that this is an ordinary occurrence among smokers, thus they are not alarmed until they feel more severe lung cancer symptoms.

When this happens, truly the lung cancer symptom shows because of the advanced stage of the cancer. The uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lungs is already manifesting through the lung cancer symptoms and by this time, secondary cancer cells are already developing in other organs of the body.

Severe lung cancer symptoms include persistent coughing, chronic chest pain, which is associated with shortness of breathing, wheezing and hoarseness of the voice.

Often, because of the similarity of lung cancer symptoms to bronchial asthma, people who self medicate usually try to treat the shortness of breathing with asthma medication.

The medication is thus useless because it is not working on the actual disease. It is thus imperative that minor discomforts such as shortness of breathing be brought to the attention of a competent doctor for evaluation. This will avoid treating a disease with a different medication such as in self-medicating patients.

Other lung cancer symptoms are blood in sputum, recurring cases of pneumonia or bronchitis, neck and facial swelling, sudden weight loss and constant feeling of fatigue. All these lung cancer symptoms occur on the terminal stage of the cancer, and this makes it almost impossible to manage lung cancer and it symptoms.

Additionally, because there is still no known cure for lung cancer, treatments especially on its advanced stage are done to lessen the severity of the lung cancer symptoms. Remission of the disease may no longer happen on the advanced stage.

Thus, it is imperative that minor lung cancer symptoms be monitored. It is still easier to manage lung cancer at this stage, other than in the advanced stage.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, if you cease smoking, this effort will help you slow down the possibility of lung cancer. Even for those long time smokers, withdrawing from smoking will help lessen the possibility of acquiring the disease.

Keeping a healthy body and strong immune system will help avoid lung cancer for smokers or non-smokers alike.

Smokers may cease from smoking to help ensure they will not suffer lung cancer in the future. Then, they will not have to worry about lung cancer symptoms because halting smoking will also halt the possibility of acquiring this deadly disease.

Regular exercise will help ensure your immune system will be strong enough to fight lung cancer and thus no lung cancer symptoms will ever occur.

Living a healthy and active lifestyle, and avoiding smoking will ensure you will leave longer and better.

More and more often, I come across cases of nonsmokers who develop lung cancer. My attention is always drawn to news of this nature because my husband passed away at the age of 51 from brain and lung cancer. He never smoked a day in his life.

The complacency non-smokers have shared over the years is no longer a viable option. Smokers and non-smokers alike are vulnerable to a disease which is largely incurable. Among patients with lung cancer, only about 14% live five years after their diagnosis.

In the face of a disease that seems to have neither rhyme nor reason, what can we do to protect ourselves? First, assess your risk for lung cancer; then take measures to prevent the disease.

What are the risk factors for lung cancer?

Gender: Unfortunately, women seem to be more vulnerable to lung cancer. Research has shown that female smokers are more susceptible to the cancer-causing chemicals found in cigarettes. In another study, a gene linked to abnormal lung cancer cell growth was found to be more active in women than in men. It did not matter whether the women smoked or not.

A family history of lung cancer: Evidence suggests that there is a lung cancer gene which predisposes offspring to develop lung cancer. However, the evidence is far from conclusive as the situation is made difficult by the fact that offspring of smokers have been exposed to a smoking environment since childhood and would therefore have a greater risk for developing the disease.

Scarring from previous lung disease : Scarring in lungs caused by tuberculosis or other lung disease can be a risk factor for lung cancer.

Second-hand smoke: Exposure to second-hand smoke has been shown to be a definite risk factor. Your risk increases by 30 percent from daily exposure to second-hand smoke. This is probably the most significant risk factor for lung cancer in non-smokers.

Exposure to radon: Radon is an odorless gas than can seep out of the soil into buildings. Worse yet, the gas can seep from the soil into water near residential communities. Radon has been implicated as a potential cause of lung cancer.

Air pollution: Long-term occupational exposure to diesel exhaust fumes may increase lung cancer risk by 47%. Air pollution in general is a risk factor in the general population. Swedish researchers estimate that as many as 1 in 10 cases of lung cancer may be caused by air pollution in the Swedish capital city, Stockholm.

Past Cancer Treatment: Researchers in Sweden who looked at the medical records of 140,000 breast cancer patients found that there was an increase of lung cancer 5 to 20 years after breast cancer treatment. Suspicion is that radiotherapy in the chest area may have made the lungs more susceptible to the disease.

Estrogen Replacement Therapy: According to researchers at the University of Pittsburg, estrogen may fuel the growth of non small-cell lung cancer.

What preventative measures can we take?

Diet: An apple a day may keep lung cancer away. A Finnish study suggests that apples not only keep doctors away, but provide protection for the lungs as well. This study found that people who ate the most apples were 58 % less likely to develop lung cancer. Other studies suggest that lung cancer risk is lower among smokers and non smokers who ate at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits daily.

Beta Carotene: A high intake of beta carotene compounds can lower your lung cancer risk; however, studies also show that the beta carotene is only effective when the compounds are ingested from whole foods such as peaches, melon, carrots, mangoes, dark leafy vegetables, squash etc. The opposite effect seems to take place with beta carotene supplements. A Finnish study reported 18% more lung cancer cases among heavy smokers who took beta carotene supplements. And a National Cancer Study on the effects of vitamin A and beta carotene was halted because smokers taking the supplements had 28% more lung cancer than those taking a placebo.

Selenium and Vitamin C: Taking selenium supplements on a long- term basis has been shown to decrease the incidence of lung cancer. In one study, people taking 55-200 mcg of the mineral daily had a 46% lower rate of lung cancer. As well, studies indicate that people who take less than 90 mg of vitamin C on a daily basis may have a 90% higher risk of lung cancer than those who take 140mg or more.

Avoid second-hand smoke and check your house for radon.

There are never guarantees in life, but it makes perfectly good sense to take some preventative measures as these can not only improve your overall quality of health and life but also prevent lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the common form of cancer that occurs in the part of lungs and is mostly characterized by the existence of the malignant tumors. Commonly it is the bronchogenic carcinoma all about 90%. The Lung cancer is one of the main lethal of all the cancers worldwide; it leads up to 3 million deaths per annum. Merely one in ten of the lung cancer patients are diagnosed with this virus that would survive the next five years. Even though the lung cancer was before an illness that exaggerated predominately in most of the men, the lung cancer pace for women has increased in the previous few decades that has been accredited to the mounting ratio of the female to most male smokers. Additional women die of the lung cancer than some other cancer that includes the uterine cancers, breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Present researches designate that the aspect with the maximum impact on danger of lung cancer is lasting exposure to the inhaled carcinogens. The main common way of such exposure is through the tobacco smoke. The Cigarette smoking is the major significant reason of the lung cancer. Study as far back as 1950s obviously established this connection. Cigarette smoking contains additional than 4000 chemicals. Numerous of which are been identified as the causing cancer. An individual who smokes further than 1 pack of cigarettes for each day has a maximum risk of rising lung cancer “20-25″ times greater than one who has by no means smoked.
Various Air pollution from the motor vehicles, factory, and extra sources may add to the risk for the lung cancer, other than the Asbestos experience increases the jeopardy of lung cancer with 9 times. The combination of the asbestos exposure and various cigarette smoking compounds the danger by as lot as 50 times. The degree of raise has not been recognized accurately. Convinced occupations where the exposure to arsenic, aromatic hydrocarbons, chromium, nickel and ethers occur might increase the danger of the lung cancer. An individual who has have lung cancer is further likely to build up second lung cancer than average person is to build up the first lung cancer. One of the best treatments of the lung cancer much depends on whether NSCLC or SCLC is present. The treatment also depends on the tumor stage, mainly in “NSCLC”. A person’s universal physical form is also taken into the account. The majority widely used therapy for the lung cancer is surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Lung cancer may be the most tragic cancer because in most cases, it might have been prevented, 87% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Lung cancer has long been the most common cause of cancer death in men and since 1987 it has also become the most common cause of cancer death in women. Lung cancer is the second most commonly occurring form of cancer in most western countries and although the lung cancer incidence is less common in developing countries, the rapid increase in the popularity of smoking will see the number of lung cancer sufferers in those countries quickly catch up with the western world.
Lung cancers can arise in any part of the lung, and 90%-95% of cancers of the lung are thought to arise from the epithelial, or lining cells of the larger and smaller airways (bronchi and bronchioles); for this reason, lung cancers are sometimes called bronchogenic carcinomas or bronchogenic cancers.
The most common type of lung cancers are epidermoid carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.
Most experts agree that lung cancer is attributable to inhalation of carcinogenic pollutants by a susceptible host. Who is most susceptible? Any smoker over the age of 40, especially if they began smoking before the age of 15, have smoked 20 or more for 20 years, or worked with or near asbestos. Two other factors also increase susceptibility: exposure to carcinogenic industrial and air pollutants (asbestos, uranium, arsenic, nickel, iron oxides, chromium, radio active dust, and coal dust.) and familial susceptibility.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Because early lung cancer usually produces no symptoms, the disease is often in an advanced stage when first diagnosed. Late stage signs are: with epidermoid and small cell carcinoma; smokers cough, hoarseness, wheezing, dyspnea, hemoptysis and chest pain. With adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma; fever, weakness, weight loss, anorexia and shoulder pain. In addition, hormone production which regulates various body functions may also be affected.
DIAGNOSIS
Firm diagnosis requires chest x rays, sputum cytology, CT scanning, bronchoscopy the examination of pleural fluid and biopsies. Other tests to detect metastasis include bone scans, bone marrow biopsy and CT scans of the brain and abdomen.
METASTASES
Lung cancer most often spreads to the liver, the adrenal glands, the bones, and the brain. Lung cancer that has metastasized to the bone causes bone pain, usually in the backbone (vertebrae), the thighbones, and the ribs. Lung cancer that spreads to the brain can cause difficulties with vision and weakness on one side of the body.
Lung cancer may grow into certain nerves in the neck, causing a droopy eyelid, small pupil, sunken eye, and reduced perspiration on one side of the face; together these symptoms are called Horner’s syndrome (see Autonomic Nervous System Disorders: Horner’s Syndrome). Lung cancer may grow directly into the esophagus, or it may grow near it and put pressure on it, leading to difficulty in swallowing. Lung cancer may also spread through the bloodstream to the liver, brain, adrenal glands, spinal cord, and bone.
TREATMENT
Treatment for lung cancer depends on the cancer’s specific cell type, how far it has spread, and the patient’s performance status. If investigations confirm lung cancer, CT scan and often positron emission tomography (PET) are used to determine whether the disease is localised and amenable to surgery or whether it has spread to the point where it cannot be cured surgically. Treatment is usually a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Surgery is usually the first option. Chemotherapy can be used as a first line treatment for lung cancer or as additional treatment after surgery. Radiation therapy can be directed at your lung cancer from outside your body (external beam radiation) or it can be put inside needles, seeds or catheters and placed inside your body near the cancer (brachytherapy). Radiation therapy can be used alone or along with other lung cancer treatments. Radiation therapy can also be used to lessen side effects of lung cancer.
Treatment may not be as effective for patients with bone or liver metastases from lung cancer, excessive weight loss, ongoing cigarette use, or pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease or emphysema. At some point, if you and your oncologist or primary care physician agree that treatment no longer is advisable, hospice care can provide comfort.

INTRODUCTION
Lung cancer may also be the most tragic cancer because in most cases, it might have been prevented, 87% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Lung cancer has long been the most common cause of cancer death in men and since 1987 it has also become the most common cause of cancer death in women. Lung cancer is the second most commonly occurring form of cancer in most western countries and although the lung cancer incidence is less common in developing countries, the rapid increase in the popularity of smoking will see the number of lung cancer sufferers in those countries quickly catch up with the western world.
Lung cancers can arise in any part of the lung, and 90%-95% of cancers of the lung are thought to arise from the epithelial, or lining cells of the larger and smaller airways (bronchi and bronchioles); for this reason, lung cancers are sometimes called bronchogenic carcinomas or bronchogenic cancers.
The most common type of lung cancers are epidermoid carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.
Most experts agree that lung cancer is attributable to inhalation of carcinogenic pollutants by a susceptible host. Who is most susceptible? Any smoker over the age of 40, especially if they began smoking before the age of 15, have smoked 20 or more for 20 years, or worked with or near asbestos. Two other factors also increase susceptibility: exposure to carcinogenic industrial and air pollutants (asbestos, uranium, arsenic, nickel, iron oxides, chromium, radio active dust, and coal dust.) and familial susceptibility.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Because early lung cancer usually produces no symptoms, the disease is often in an advanced stage when first diagnosed. Late stage signs are: with epidermoid and small cell carcinoma; smokers cough, hoarseness, wheezing, dyspnea, hemoptysis and chest pain. With adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma; fever, weakness, weight loss, anorexia and shoulder pain. In addition, hormone production which regulates various body functions may also be affected.
DIAGNOSIS
Firm diagnosis requires chest x rays, sputum cytology, CT scanning, bronchoscopy the examination of pleural fluid and biopsies. Other tests to detect metastasis include bone scans, bone marrow biopsy and CT scans of the brain and abdomen.
METASTASES
Lung cancer most often spreads to the liver, the adrenal glands, the bones, and the brain. Lung cancer that has metastasized to the bone causes bone pain, usually in the backbone (vertebrae), the thighbones, and the ribs. Lung cancer that spreads to the brain can cause difficulties with vision and weakness on one side of the body.
Lung cancer may grow into certain nerves in the neck, causing a droopy eyelid, small pupil, sunken eye, and reduced perspiration on one side of the face; together these symptoms are called Horner’s syndrome (see Autonomic Nervous System Disorders: Horner’s Syndrome). Lung cancer may grow directly into the esophagus, or it may grow near it and put pressure on it, leading to difficulty in swallowing. Lung cancer may also spread through the bloodstream to the liver, brain, adrenal glands, spinal cord, and bone.
TREATMENT
Treatment for lung cancer depends on the cancer’s specific cell type, how far it has spread, and the patient’s performance status. If investigations confirm lung cancer, CT scan and often positron emission tomography (PET) are used to determine whether the disease is localised and amenable to surgery or whether it has spread to the point where it cannot be cured surgically. Treatment is usually a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Surgery is usually the first option. Chemotherapy can be used as a first line treatment for lung cancer or as additional treatment after surgery. Radiation therapy can be directed at your lung cancer from outside your body (external beam radiation) or it can be put inside needles, seeds or catheters and placed inside your body near the cancer (brachytherapy). Radiation therapy can be used alone or along with other lung cancer treatments. Radiation therapy can also be used to lessen side effects of lung cancer.
Treatment may not be as effective for patients with bone or liver metastases from lung cancer, excessive weight loss, ongoing cigarette use, or pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease or emphysema. At some point, if you and your oncologist or primary care physician agree that treatment no longer is advisable, hospice care can provide comfort.