Lung Cancer

    

 Lung Cancer    

By: Allison Herman

About Lung Cancer:

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women and men both in the United States and throughout the world.

 • In the United States in 2009, 159,390 people were projected

to die from lung cancer, which is more than the number of deaths from colon and rectal, breast, and prostate cancer combined.

Causes: • Cigarette smoking is the most important cause of lung

cancer.     • Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, many of

which have been identified as causing cancer.• Second-hand smoking, pollution and radon exposure are risks

for lung cancer. 

Symptoms&Signs:

• Up to one-fourth of all people with lung cancer may have no symptoms when the cancer is diagnosed. These cancers usually are identified incidentally when a chest X-ray is performed for another reason.

• Symptoms of primary lung cancers include cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, and shortness of breath.

Diagnosis:

• CT scan or MRI is performed to see if there is anything unusual.

• A biopsy is performed to diagnose.

Body Affected:

• A lung cancer patient will experience coughing because the tumor grows and presses on the chest.  You may also cough up blood, wheeze, have chest pain, experience severe weight loss, and have voice hoarseness.

• Cancer tumor may spread to other parts of the body.• The spreading of lung cancer to the bones causes

tremendous pain and can make affected bones break more easily. Lung cancer that metastasizes in the brain causes several neurological disorders including seizures, reduced vision, loss of control and sensation in certain body parts.

Treatment:

• Radiation therapy.• Chemotherapy.• Remove tumor with surgery.• Electrosurgery, using laser to destroy tissue.

 

Survival:

• Fewer than 10% of people with primary lung cancer are alive 5 years after diagnosis, but the stage of lung cancer depends how long you will live.

• Stage 1a—more than 60 months (> 5 years) • Stage 1b—about 36 months (3 years) • Stage 2a—about 24 months (2 years) • Stage 2b—about 20 months (< 2 years) • Stage 3a—about 15 months (< 1.5 years)• Stage 3b—about 12 months (1 year) • Stage 4—about 8 months (< 1 year)