Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both women and men in the United States. Cancer occurs when normal cells undergo a transformation that causes them to grow and multiply without the normal controls. Cancer of the lung, like all cancers, results from an abnormality in the body’s basic unit of life, the cell. Cigarette smoking causes most lung cancers. The lung is also a very common site for metastasis from tumors in other parts of the body. Tumor metastases are made up of the same type of cells as the original, or primary, tumor. There are two main types of lung cancer categorized by the size and appearance of the malignant cells seen by a histopathologist under a microscope: non-small cell (80%) and small-cell (roughly 20%) lung cancer.This classification, although based on simple histological criteria, has very important implications for clinical management and prognosis of the disease. There are two major types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is much more common. It usually spreads to different parts of the body more slowly than small cell lung cancer. Air pollution, from vehicles, industry, and power plants, can raise the likelihood of developing lung cancer in exposed individuals.
Lung cancer has also surpassed breast cancer. SCLC is the less common form of lung cancer. It tends to start in the larger breathing tubes and grows rapidly becoming quite large. The most common warning sign is a cough, which occurs when a tumor irritates the lining of the airways or blocks the passage of air. Many lung cancers have a rich blood supply. The surface of the cancer may be fragile, leading to bleeding from the cancer into the airway. This blood may subsequently be coughed up. Many of the chemicals in tobacco smoke also affect the nonsmoker inhaling the smoke, making “secondhand smoking” another important cause of lung cancer. It is responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually. Radon causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States — 12 percent of all lung cancer deaths are linked to radon. These conditions are also symptomatic of many other lung problems, so a person who has any of these symptoms should see a doctor to find out the cause.
Viruses are known to cause lung cancer in animals and recent evidence suggests similar potential in humans. Therapy may be prescribed that is intended to be curative (removal or eradication of a cancer) or palliative. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that are effective against cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be injected directly into a vein or given through a catheter. Adjuvant chemotherapy refers to the use of chemotherapy after surgery to improve the outcome. Erlotinib (Tarceva), another tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been shown to increase survival in lung cancer patients. Erlotinib oral medication targets the epidermal growth factor receptors on the surface of cells that are involved in cell growth and proliferation. Erlotinib has been approved for use in treating recurrent non-small cell lung cancers and is being studied for use in other stages of the disease. Bevacizumab-Given as an injection in conjunction with standard chemotherapy, this treatment helps stop the growth of blood vessels that supply nutrients to tumors. Lobectomy. The most common type of lung cancer surgery, lobectomy involves removing an entire lobe of one lung.
Lung Cancer Treatment Tips
1.Radioactive iodine brachytherapy at the margins of wedge excision may reduce recurrence to that of lobectomy.
2.Adjuvant chemotherapy refers to the use of chemotherapy after surgery to improve the outcome.
3.Radiation therapy may be employed as a treatment for both NSCLC and SCLC.
4.Chemotherapy may be injected directly into a vein or given through a catheter.
5. Erlotinib oral medication targets the epidermal growth factor receptors on the surface of cells that are involved in cell growth and proliferation
6.Bevacizumab-Given as an injection in conjunction with standard chemotherapy.
7.Lobectomy involves removing an entire lobe of one lung.
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