What Is Lung Cancer - Incidence, Signs, Symptoms, Causes, Prognosis And Treatment

Lung cancer can also be the most tragic cancer because in most cases could have been avoided, 87% of cases are caused by smoking. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in men and since 1987 has also become the most common cause of cancer death in women. It is the second most common cancer in most Western countries, although the incidence of lung cancer is less common in developing countries, the rapid rise in popularity of snuff consumption is the number of patients these countries rapidly catching up with the Western world.

Lung cancer can occur in any part of the lung, and 90% -95% and lung epithelial cells is believed to occur, or cells of the lining of the small and large Airways (bronchi and bronchioles), for this reason, lung cancers are sometimes called bronchogenic carcinomas or bronchogenic cancer.

The most common types are squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma.

Most experts say that lung cancer due to inhalation of carcinogenic pollutants in a susceptible host. Who is more sensitive? Every smoker is more than 40 years, especially if they start smoking before the age of 15, smoked 20 or 20 more years, or worked with or near asbestos. Two other factors also increase susceptibility: exposure to carcinogenic industrial and air pollutants (asbestos, uranium, arsenic, nickel, iron oxides, chromium, radioactive dust, and coal dust.) And the familial predisposition.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Since the early lung cancer usually produces no symptoms, the disease is often advanced at diagnosis. Late stage signs are: squamous cell carcinoma with little pain and smoker cough, hoarseness, wheezing, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and chest. With adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma, fever, weakness, weight loss, anorexia and pain in the shoulder. In addition, production of the hormone that regulates many body functions can also be affected.

DIAGNOSIS

Firm diagnosis requires chest x-ray, sputum cytology, CT, bronchoscopy examination of pleural fluid and biopsies. Other tests to detect metastasis include bone scans, bone marrow biopsy and computed tomography of the brain and stomach.

Metastasis

The disease most often spreads to the liver, adrenal glands, bones and brain. The cancer that has metastasized to the bone causes bone pain, usually the spine (vertebrae), hip and ribs. Cancer that spreads to the brain can cause impaired vision and weakness on one side of the body.

Cancer can grow into certain nerves in the neck, causing a droopy eyelid, pupil, sunken eyes, and decreased sweating on one side of the face, all these symptoms called Horner's syndrome (see System autonomic: Horner's syndrome). It can grow directly into the esophagus, or it can grow with her and put pressure on it, leading to difficulty swallowing. It can also be spread by blood to the liver, brain, adrenal gland, spinal cord and bone.

TREATMENT

Treatment depends on the specific cancer cell type, how it spreads, and the state of patient outcomes. If investigations confirm lung cancer, positron emission computed tomography and frequency tomography (PET) are used to determine if the disease is localized and amenable to surgery or if it has spread to the point where it can not cured with surgery. Treatment is usually a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Surgery is usually the first option. Chemotherapy can be used as primary therapy or as adjunctive therapy after surgery. Radiation therapy can be directed to the tumor from outside the body (external radiation) or can be put in needles, seeds or catheters, and placed the body near the tumor (brachytherapy). Radiation therapy may be used alone or in combination with other treatments for lung cancer. Radiation therapy can also be used to reduce the side effects of lung cancer.

The treatment can be effective in patients with bone metastases from lung cancer or liver disease, excessive weight loss, persistent use of cigarettes, or pre-existing conditions such as heart and lung disease. At some point, if you and your oncologist or primary care physician believes that treatment is no longer advisable, hospice care can provide comfort.