Lung Cancer

The deadliest of cancers in the world today is lung cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most frightening diseases that are initiated in the lungs of the body. The human body consists of two sets of lungs called the right and left lung that are located in the chest area. The right lung consists of three lobes and the left lung hold two lobes, which have the job of assisting individuals in their breathing process. The air is taken in via the nose down to the windpipe and into the lungs where it is further distributed around by means of tubes that are known as bronchi. It is in this specific area where most of the cancer cells begin to develop amidst the lining of the tubes. Studies have shown that people are more prone to lung cancer than any other cancer and it is the number one killing disease around the world.

Types of lung cancer

Officially, there are two types of lung cancer affecting people around the globe. They are Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and Small cell lung cancer and if the cancer has a combination of both categories then they are referred to as mixed small cell/large cell cancer. In addition, if the cancer cells have initiated from other parts of the body and transported to the lungs then it is called metastatic cancer to the lungs. Non-small cell lung cancers are the most common types found around the world, whilst the small cell lung cancer accounts for a mere twenty percent of all lung cancer cases.

Causes of lung cancer

Lung cancer, which is found in both men and women, has been found to be most lethal disease in the globe where countless number of people has passed away with the fatal infection. Lung cancer is noticeable in older people and rarely found in younger individuals who have crossed the age of forty-five. The main cause of lung cancer is notably cigarette smoking, although it has also affected individuals who have not taken up to the smoking habit. It has been proved that non-smokers are attacked with the cancer cells due to the intake of passive smoke that is being emitted by genuine smokers. In addition to cigarette smoke, other issues are involved in the attracting of lung cancer such as:

• Elevated levels of polluted air
• High concentration of poisonous solid element in drinking water
• Radon gas
• Asbestos and its products
• Family history of lung cancer
• Exposure to various chemicals like mustard gas, uranium, vinyl chloride, beryllium, nickel chromates, coal products, exhaust smoke from diesel and gasoline

Symptoms of lung cancer

It is difficult to identify any exact symptoms with lung cancer except after an X-ray or a CAT scan. Normally people who experience the following symptoms should visit a physician and have an X-ray done in order to identify if they have attracted the deadly disease.

• Stubborn continuous coughing
• Coughing up blood
• Breathing issues
• Wheezing
• Chest pains
• Loss of appetite
• Losing weight
• Fatigue and weakness

•  Swallowing difficulty
• Nail troubles
• Joint and bone aches and pains
• Hoarseness or changing of the voice
• Puffiness in the face
• Facial paralysis
• Baggy eyelids

When the lung cancer spreads to other parts in the body, there could be other symptoms that are involved that would lead to further complications and at time difficult to treat.

Initial investigation of lung cancer

When patients who feel some of the symptoms that are mentioned above, they would be curious to know if they have some how contracted the dangerous disease of lung cancer. In order to clear their doubts about the same they would immediately pay a visit to their family doctor to get confirmed results. The doctor would carry out a physical examination on the patient and try to obtain further information about the patient concerning the medical, family and personal habits, history and issues by asking various questions. The basic questions would be like family history of lung cancer, smoking habits and time span, working conditions and atmosphere and other queries concerning their lifestyle.

The health expert would also conduct physical examination like paying attention to the sounds of chest movements with the assistance of his stethoscope.  To be more accurate in their diagnosing the doctor would ask the patient to perform certain tests like a chest X-ray, MRI, CT scan, positron emission tomography (PET) scan, sputum cytology test and at times even a biopsy. Biopsies are processes where pieces of tissues are extracted from the lungs in order to be examined seriously under a microscope. There are various ways of performing these biopsies, which are pleural biopsy, open lung biopsy, bronchoscopy merged with biopsy, needle biopsy utilizing a CT scan and mediastinoscopy with biopsy.

Stages of lung cancer

All cancer diseases have stages that describe the feature, situation and extend of the cancer, which would enable the doctor to come to a decision on the appropriate treatment. Here below are descriptions about the various stages in each category of lung cancer.

The Small cell lung cancer (divided into two stages)

• Limited disease – where the cancer cells are identified in one lung, amidst pleural effusion a fluid around the lungs or in nearby lymph nodes
• Extensive disease – where the cancer has spread outside the lung, within the chest area and to other parts of the body

Non-small cell lung cancer (divided into four stages)

Stage 1: having two sub-sections (Stage 1A and 1B) where the cancer is being localized and not found spread to the lymph nodes.

• Stage 1A, where the cancer is smaller than 3cm in size.

• Stage 1B, where the cancer is greater than 3cm, that is developing in the main tubes of the lung (bronchus) and also spread to the membrane wrapping the lung (pleura), or instigated the lung to somewhat collapse.

Stage 2: also divided in two sub-sections (Stage 2A and 2B)

• Stage 2A, where the cancer is considered 3cm or less in measurement and has an effect on nearby lymph nodes.
• Stage 2B, where the cancer is larger than 3cm situated in the nearby lymph nodes. No cancer in the lymph nodes, but the cancer tumor has forced the lung to collapse. On the other hand, if the cancer has developed into the chest wall or the covering of the heart (pericardium), the pleura which is the membrane covering the lung and the diaphragm that are the muscle layer underneath the lungs.

Stage 3: also divided in two sub-sections (Stage 3A and 3B)

• Stage 3A, where the cancer is of any size and has spread into the lymph nodes in the middle of the chest but not to the other side of the chest, or into tissue around the lung
• Stage 3B, where the cancer  has spread to the lymph nodes on either side of the chest or above the collar bone and other parts of the body

Stage 4: where the cancer has managed to spread to distant parts of the body

Treatment of Lung Cancer

Treatment of the lung cancer would depend on the type of cancer where the medical expert would administer surgery, chemotherapy or radiation on the patient. The outcome of the treatment would depend on certain factors like the type of lung cancer, the spreading situation of the cancer, the age and the health condition of the patient and the response shown by the lung cancer patient.