Page Header

Medical Services

Home » Medical Services  » Our Services  » Cancer Care  » Types of Cancer  » Lung Cancer 

Lung Cancer

What is Lung Cancer?

Lung cancer is a cancer starts in the lungs. Most lung cancer starts in the lining of the bronchi, but it can also start in other parts of the lung. Lung cancer often takes many years to develop. First, there may be areas of pre-cancerous changes in the lung. These changes are not a mass or tumor. They can't be seen on an x-ray and they don't cause symptoms. Over time, these pre-cancerous areas may go on to become true cancer. The cancer makes chemicals that cause new blood vessels to form nearby. These new blood vessels feed the cancer cells and allow a tumor to form. In time, the tumor becomes large enough to show up on an x-ray. At some point, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body in a process called metastasis. Lung cancer is a life-threatening disease because it often spreads in this way before it is found. There are 2 main types of lung cancer and they are treated differently.
  • Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
  • Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
 

Risk Factors for Lung Cancer

A risk factor is anything that affects a person's chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some risk factors, like smoking, can be controlled. Others, like a person's age or family history, can't be changed.

But risk factors don't tell us everything. Having a risk factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean that you will get the disease. And many people who get the disease may not have had any known risk factors. Even if a person with lung cancer has a risk factor, it is often very hard to know how much that risk factor may have contributed to the cancer. Still, having several risk factors can make you more likely to get lung cancer.
  • Tobacco smoke
  • Secondhand smoke
  • Radon
  • Asbestos
  • Radioactive ores, such as uranium
  • Inhaled chemicals or minerals, such as arsenic, beryllium,     cadmium, vinyl chloride, nickel compounds, chromium compounds, coal products, mustard gas, and chloromethyl ethers
  • Diesel exhaust
  • Family History
  • Diet and Vitamins
  • Air Pollution
  • Marijuana
 

Can Lung Cancer be prevented?

The best way to prevent lung cancer is not to smoke. If you already smoke, you should try to quit. You should also avoid breathing in other people's smoke. If you would like help quitting smoking, see our Guide to Quitting Smoking or call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345.

Radon is also a cause of lung cancer. You can lower your exposure by having your home tested and treated, if needed. For more information, see our document, Radon.

A good diet with lots of fruits and vegetables may also help prevent lung cancer. Some people who get lung cancer do not have any known risk factors. Although we know how to prevent most lung cancers, at this time we don't know how to prevent all of them.

Signs and Symptoms

Most lung cancers do not cause symptoms until they have spread, but you should report any of the following problems to your doctor right away. Often these problems are caused by something other than cancer. If lung cancer is found, getting treatment right away might mean your cancer could be cured. Or you could live longer with a better quality of life. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are:
  • A cough that does not go away
  • Chest pain, often made worse by deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
  • Hoarseness
  • Weight loss and loss of appetite
  • Coughing up bloody or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Feeling weak or tired
  • Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that keep coming back
  • New onset of wheezing
 

Test to Find Lung Cancer

  • Chest x-ray
  • CT scan
  • CT guided needle biopsy
  • MRI scans
  • PET scan
  • Bone scan
 

Treatment for Lung Cancer

  • Surgery
  • Radiation treatment
  • Chemotherapy
 

Treatment is based on the type of tumor, and in many cases a combination of treatments is used. The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the number of factors including the type, size and location of the tumor.

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/LungCancer-SmallCell/OverviewGuide/index

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a cancer starts in the lungs. In order to understand lung cancer, it helps to know something about the structure of the lungs and how they work. Most lung cancer starts in the lining of the bronchi, but it can also start in other parts of the lung. Lung cancer often takes many years to develop. First, there may be areas of pre-cancerous changes in the lung. These changes are not a mass or tumor. They can't be seen on an x-ray and they don't cause symptoms.

Over time, these pre-cancerous areas may go on to become true cancer. The cancer makes chemicals that cause new blood vessels to form nearby. These new blood vessels feed the cancer cells and allow a tumor to form. In time, the tumor becomes large enough to show up on an x-ray.

At some point, cancer cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body in a process called metastasis. Lung cancer is a life-threatening disease because it often spreads in this way before it is found.

Risk Factors for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

  • Tobacco smoke
  • Secondhand smoke
  • Asbestos
  • Radiation treatment to the lungs
  • Arsenic
  • Personal or family history of lung cancer
  • Air pollution
 

Can Lung Cancer be prevented?

Avoiding the following:

  • Tobacco smoke
  • Secondhand smoke
  • Asbestos
  • Radiation treatment to the lungs
  • Arsenic
  • Personal or family history of lung cancer
  • Air pollution
 

Signs and Symptoms

  • A cough that does not go away
  • Chest pain, often made worse by deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
  • Hoarseness
  • Weight loss and loss of appetite
  • Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum (spit or phlegm)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Feeling tired or weak
  • Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that keep coming back
  • New onset of wheezing
 

Test to Find Lung Cancer

  • Chest x-ray
  • CT scan
  • MRI
  • PET scan
  • Bone Scan
 

Treatment for Lung Cancer

  • Surgery
  • Radiation treatment
  • Chemotherapy
 

Treatment is based on the type of tumor, and in many cases a combination of treatments is used. The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the number of factors including the type, size and location of the tumor.

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/LungCancer-Non-SmallCell/OverviewGuide/index