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Lung Cancer

Page Contents:
 
1. What is lung cancer?
2. Types of lung cancer
3. Symptoms of lung cancer
4. Causes and risk factors
5. Can you get lung cancer if you don’t smoke?
6. lung cancer diagnosis
7. Management and Treatment
8. Can lung cancer be prevented?
9. How do I manage symptoms and side effects?
10. Lung cancer screening
11. Sources and references
Lung cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. More than 43,000 people are diagnosed with the condition every year.

What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the lungs. Your lungs are 2 sponge-like organs in your chest that are separated into sections called lobes.
 
Lung cancer is a disease caused by uncontrolled cell division in your lungs. Your cells divide and make more copies of themselves as a part of their normal function. But sometimes, they get changes (mutations) that cause them to keep making more of themselves when they shouldn’t. Damaged cells dividing uncontrollably create masses, or tumors, of tissue that eventually keep your organs from working properly.

Types of lung cancer

There are two main types: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. These two types grow differently and are treated differently. Non-small cell lung cancer is the more common type.

Symptoms of lung cancer

People with lung cancer do not typicallyTrusted Source experience symptoms until a later stage, when the cancer has spread. However, potential symptoms include:
 
_voice changes, such as hoarseness
_frequent chest infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia
_a lingering cough that may worsen
_coughing up blood
_chest pain
_appetite loss and weight loss
_fatigue
_shortness of breath and wheezing
 
In time, a person may also experience more severe symptoms, such as:
 
_bone pain and bone fractures
_headaches
_swelling in the lymph nodes in the middle of the chest

Causes and risk factors

Smoking tobacco is the most common cause of lung cancer, with around 80%Trusted Source of lung cancer deaths stemming from smoking.
 
However, not everyone with lung cancer smokes, and lung cancer can occur due to other factors, including:
 
*exposure to chemicals such as:
 
_radon
_diesel exhaust
_asbestos
 
*environmental factors, such as air pollution
*inherited or acquired genetic changes
*exposure to secondhand smoke

Can you get lung cancer if you don’t smoke?

While smoking is the leading risk factor for lung cancer, up to 20% of people diagnosed have never smoked. That’s why it’s important to talk to your provider about any concerning symptoms.

lung cancer diagnosis

To find out if you have lung cancer, your health care provider:
 
_Will take your medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms
_Will ask about your family history
_Will do a physical exam
_May order certain imaging tests, such as a chest x-ray or chest CT scan
_May order lab tests, including tests of your blood and sputum
_May do a procedure to take a biopsy of the lung
 
If you do have lung cancer, your provider will do other tests to find out if it has spread through the lungs, lymph nodes, and the rest of the body. This is called staging. Knowing the type and stage of lung cancer you have helps your provider decide what kind of treatment you need.
 
If you have small-cell lung cancer, your provider may also do genetic testing to look for certain gene changes (variants) in your cancer cells. The results of the testing may help guide treatment.

Treatments are used in lung cancer

Lung cancer treatments include surgery, radiofrequency ablation, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy and immunotherapy.
 

Surgery

NSCLC that hasn’t spread and SCLC that’s limited to a single tumor can be eligible for surgery. Your surgeon might remove the tumor and a small amount of 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 best chance that the cancer won’t come back.
 
 

Radiofrequency ablation

 
NSCLC tumors near the outer edges of your lungs are sometimes treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA uses high-energy radio waves to heat and destroy cancer cells.
 
 

Radiation therapy

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

Chemotherapy

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

Targeted drug therapy

 
In some people with NSCLC, lung cancer cells have specific changes (mutations) that help the cancer grow. Special drugs target these mutations to try to slow down or destroy cancer cells. Other drugs, called angiogenesis inhibitors, can keep the tumor from creating new blood vessels, which the cancer cells need to grow.
 

Immunotherapy


Our bodies usually recognize cells that are damaged or harmful and destroy them. Cancer has ways to hide from the immune system to keep from being destroyed. Immunotherapy reveals cancer cells to your immune system so your own body can fight cancer.
 

Treatments to ease symptoms (palliative care)


Some lung cancer treatments are used to relieve symptoms, like pain and difficulty breathing. These include therapies to reduce or remove tumors that are blocking airways, and procedures to remove fluid from around your lungs and keep it from coming back.

Can lung cancer be prevented?

Avoiding the risk factors may help prevent lung cancer. For example, you can:
 
_Quit smoking. And if you don’t smoke, don’t start.
_Lower your exposure to hazardous substances at work.
_Lower your exposure to radon. Radon tests can show whether your home has 
 
high levels of radon. You can buy a test kit yourself or hire a professional to do the test.

How do I manage symptoms and side effects?

Your provider can prescribe medications to help manage your symptoms or side effects of treatment. A palliative care specialist or a dietitian can help you manage pain or other symptoms and improve your quality of life while you’re in treatment.

Lung cancer screening

Regular screening may benefit people with a high risk of developing lung cancer.
 
The American Lung Association (ALA) recommends screening for people who meet the following criteria:
 
people ages 50 to 80 years
a 20-pack-year history of smoking — which may mean smoking one pack of cigarettes daily for 20 years or two packs daily for 10 years
they currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years
Insurance may cover this screening. People can check with their insurance company before signing up for lung cancer screening.
 
False positive results sometimes occur when screening for lung cancer. The ALA estimates that around 12% to 14% of initial screening scans for lung cancer will have a false positive.
 
However, advances in screening methods have helped reduce the rate of false positives. Also, regular screening allows physicians to detect changes more easily between scans to prevent false positives.
 
A person should speak with a doctor about the likelihood of false positives and what to expect after screening.
Sources and references
 
https://medlineplus.gov/lungcancer.html
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323701#faq
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/lung-cancer/treatment
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/lung-cancer/what-is
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms/
https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/patient/lung-prevention-pdq
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4375-lung-cancer

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