Lung Cancer
• Definition
· LUNG CANCER is the disease of any cancerous growth of the airways (bronchus, bronchioles) or alveoli (where oxygen exchange takes place).
• Overview
· Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, responsible for more deaths each year than prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer combined.
· Lung cancer causes over 1 million per deaths per year worldwide.
Over 200,000 cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed this year in the United States
· Lung cancer is difficult to treat and over 85% of people diagnosed with lung cancer will die within 5 years of the diagnosis.
· Lung cancer is usually caused by cigarette smoking.
Second hand smoke exposure increases the risk of developing lung cancer by 50%.
Cigarette smoke causes lung cancer by releasing chemicals that can turn on cancer causing genes and turn off cancer suppressing genes with in the lung tissue.
Certain genes can be inherited that increase the risk of developing lung cancer in a smoker.
Beta Carotene supplements may increase risk of Lung Cancer in smokers
There is a 20-30% risk reduction for Lung cancer within five years of smoking cessation.
• Types
· Lung cancer is classified as:
Small Cell Lung Cancer or Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
· Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer includes:
adenocarcinoma
bronchioloalveolar carcinoma
squamous cell carcinoma
large cell carcinoma
• Symptoms
· Up to 15% of patients have no symptoms at the time of diagnosis of lung cancer
· Typical lung cancer symptoms include:
Persistent cough
Coughing up blood
Recurrent pneumonia
Shortness of breath
Unexplained weight loss
Wheezing
• Treatment
· The type and extent of the lung cancer will determine the treatment options.
· Small cell lung cancer that is very limited can occasionally be treated with surgery but is usually only treated with chemotherapy or chemotherapy and radiation.
· Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer is more often treated with surgical resection. Surgery is an option if the cancer has not extensively spread at the time of diagnosis. Chemotherapy and radiation are also used in the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Craig Geiler, M.D.
References
Diagnosis and management of lung cancer, ACCP evidence-based guidelines Chest 123:1S, 2003
Posted on August 12, 2009
[...] Health and Wellness: Medicues Lung CancerLung Cancer — Medicues Health and Wellness Resource. Smokeless tobacco also causes heart attack and stroke. Aspirin lowers blood pressure [...]