LUNG CANCER

Lung cancer refers to malignant tumors that originate in the lung itself. There are two major types of lung cancers: non-small cell and small cell. Each type of lung cancer grows and spreads in different ways and is treated differently.

Small cell lung cancer is usually caused by smoking. It is not common for someone who has never smoked to develop it. Non-small cell lung cancer, the most common type of lung cancer is usually caused by smoking. There are three types of non-small cell lung cancer: squamous cell carcinoma (also called epidermoid carcinoma); adenocarcinoma; and large cell carcinoma.

Mesothelioma is a very rare form of lung cancer of the chest and abdominal lining. The mesothelium is made up of parietal and visceral membranes, thin layers of tissue, which surround organs and body cavities, such as the lungs or abdomen. The mesothelioma is referred by different names, depending on what part of the body it is found. The abdomen is called the peritoneum, in the lungs, the pleura, and in the heart it is called the pericardium.

Epidemiology

There are two major types of lung cancers, non-small cell and small cell. - More than 90,000 men and 79,000 women are diagnosed each year with cancer of the lungs and bronchi (the air tubes leading to the lungs). - Studies show that female smokers may be more likely to develop lung cancer than male smokers.

Risk Factors

• Smoking tobacco -  Secondhand smoke increases risk for lung cancer. - Other risk factors are radon which is an odorless radioactive gas produced naturally in rocks and soil.
• Asbestos, if inhaled, asbestos particles can cause lung damage that leads to lung cancer and mesothelioma which is a rare cancer of the chest and abdominal lining.

Symptoms / Diagnosis Chest pain

• Coughing up blood
• A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse
• Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness
• Fatigue
• Swelling of the neck and face
• Loss of appetite and weight
• Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis

Several techniques used to diagnose lung cancers are the following:

• Imaging tests that include a chest x-rays. Computed tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) helps locate abnormal areas in the lung.
• Low-dose helical CT-diagnoses cancer by exposing the patient to less radiation than a conventional chest CT scan while allowing the doctor to see areas of the chest normally obscured in a standard x-ray.
• Combined PET/CT scans is particularly important in imaging lung cancer, which can be difficult to identify on a regular CT scan. PET stands for positron emission tomography scan, which picks up the metabolic signal of actively growing cancer cells in the body, is run simultaneously with the CT scan. o Bronchoscopy & Biopsies- doctors may perform a bronchoscopy, which allows them to examine the bronchial passages using an instrument called a bronchoscope. This is a small tube that is inserted through the nose or mouth, down the throat and into the bronchi. For analysis physicians may remove some tissue during this procedure. A modified form of bronchoscopy is called autofluorescence bronchoscopy. Physicians may perform a needle biopsy to remove a smalol sample of tissue for analysis.

Treatment

Lung cancer treatment depends the type of lung cancer (non-small cell or small cell), the size, location, and extent of the tumor, and the general health of the lung cancer patient.

Surgery is most often used for non-small cell lung cancers that have no spread beyond the lung.

Three surgical procedures commonly used are the following:

• wedge resection or segmental an operation to remove only a small part of the lung
• lobectomy when the surgeon removes an entire lobe of the lung
• pneumonectomy removal of an entire lung

Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. In some cases, the cancer is completely eliminated with chemotheraphy before the patient has even had surgery. For small cell lung cancer the most common treatment, chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy is not he best option, it involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy spares normal tissues and lessens damage to other organs in the chest. This method may also be used to relieve symptoms such as shortness of breath, to relieve pain and bleeding and alleviate problems with swallowing.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), involves the use of a special chemical that is injected into the bloodstream and absorbed by the cells all over the body. A laser light aimed at the cancer activates the chemical, which then kills the cancer cells that have absorbed it.