Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers existing in the world nowadays. Generally lung cancers are self inflicted through heavy smoking. As with all diseases and especially with any form of cancer is to detect the disease as early as possible so, that treatment can be given to increase the chances of endurance. However, by the time the symptoms are noticeable the disease is probably at its advanced stage. But, if the symptoms are detected early enough your odds get better.
Lung Cancer Symptoms
Lung Cancer symptoms vary from person to person and may include:
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain, if a tumor invades a structure within the chest or involves the lining of the lung
- Loss of appetite
- Coughing up phlegm or mucus
- Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
- Swelling of the neck and face
- Fatigue
- Clubbing of fingers
Sometimes people with lung cancer do not show any of these symptoms. Or, these symptoms may be caused by a medical condition that is not cancer. But if you notice one or more of them for more than two weeks, consult your doctor.
Risk Factors
Many factors may influence the development of lung cancer, including:
Smoking
Family history
Personal history
Occupational or environmental exposure
Radiation exposure
Industrial exposure
Air pollution
Environmental tobacco smoke
Lung diseases
These are common types of Lung Cancer Treatment :
Surgery
The standard operation for lung cancer includes removal of the lobe of the lung in which the tumor resides (lobectomy) and dissection and removal of the mediastinal lymph nodes (MLND). This procedure is usually performed through an incision on the back and requires the ribs to be spread apart (right).
Advances in minimally invasive surgery are improving treatment outcomes for many lung cancer patients. Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS), a minimally invasive technique, is resulting in better outcomes and decreased recovery times. VATS lobectomy can accomplish the same cancer operation as the traditional open procedure, but requires only three or four small incisions and does not involve spreading of the ribs. VATS is an option for selected lung cancer patients, particularly those have a small tumor in the outer regions of the lung.
Radiation Therapy
External beam radiation treatment is most often used in conjunction with surgery, but it can also be combined with chemotherapy as an alternative to surgery.
Proton therapy is an innovative treatment at MD Anderson, which delivers high radiation doses directly to the tumor site, with no damage to nearby healthy tissue. Proton therapy results in better cancer control with fewer side effects. Many lung cancer patients may be candidates for proton therapy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, the use of drugs to destroy tumors, is usually used along with surgery in lung cancer patients. Chemotherapy can make the tumor more manageable before surgery, or to destroy lingering cancer cells at the tumor site after surgery.
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
Photodynamic therapy involves a light-sensitive chemical injected into the body, where it remains longer in cancer cells than it does in normal cells. The chemical is activated with a laser that initiates the destruction of cancer cells. PDT is best used on very small tumors, or to reduce some symptoms of lung cancer.