Signs and symptoms of lung cancer

Lung Cancer shows signs and symptoms when the disease is in an advanced stage. Several signs and symptoms of lung cancer are as follows:

• Persistent cough that does not go away with time
• Blood oozes out while coughing
• Pain in the chest
• Breathing issues like shortness of breath
• Changes in voice like hoarseness in voice
• Weight loss
• Bone and joint pain
• Constant headache that does not go with time

Types of lung cancer

Lung cancer is categorised based on the appearance of lung cancer cells under the microscope,there are two types of lung cancer, which are:

• Small cell lung cancer. This type of cancer occurs in heavy smokers.
• Non-small cell lung cancer. This type of cancer is an umbrella term for several types of lung cancers including squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.

Causes of lung cancer

Smoking is known to be the main causing factor contributing to the development of lung cancers. Both smokers and those who are exposed to passive smoke are at a risk of developing lung cancer.

Risk factors for lung cancer

Apart from smoking, there are a few other risk factors for developing lung cancer, those are:

• Exposure to passive smoking
• Family history of lung cancer
• Exposure to radon gas
• Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens

Diagnosis of lung cancer

• Imaging tests. X-ray of lungs is done to rule out an abnormal mass or nodule in the lungs.
• CT scan helps find small lesions in lungs that may not be detected in an X-ray.
• Sputum cytology. Sputum is examined under the microscope to find out the presence of lung cancer cells.
• Biopsy. A sample of abnormal cells from the lungs is extracted and sent to the laboratory for a detailed analysis.
• Bronchoscopy. People who are above 50 years old and have smoked heavily for several years are recommended to go for bronchoscopy.

Stages of lung cancer

Once lung cancer is diagnosed in a patient,the stage of cancer is determined to know the extent the cancer has spread. various tests and investigations are done to determine the stage of lung cancer.

As in other cancers, stages of lung cancer are also categorised in the range of 0 to 4, where 0 indicates that cancer is limited to the lung only with no expansion to the surrounding organs and tissues while stage 4 indicates cancer has spread to other parts of the body including liver.

Treatment options for lung cancer

Lung cancer surgery

Treatment plan for lung cancer is based on a number of factors, such as your overall health, the type and stage of your cancer.

Surgery

Common procedures to remove lung cancer include:

• Wedge resection is the surgical removal of a small section of lung containing the tumour along with a margin of healthy tissue.
• Segmental resection is surgical removal of a larger portion of affected lung.
• Lobectomy: is the surgical removal of the entire lobe of one lung.
• Pneumonectomy: removal of entire lung

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is performed using high-powered energy radiations to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy can be used before surgery or after surgery. In addition, It is combined with chemotherapy in cases where surgery is not an option.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs are given through a vein in a patient's arm or taken orally to destroy the cancer cells. A combination of drugs is given over a period of weeks or months, with breaks in between allowing the patient to recover from side effects of chemotherapy.

Targeted drug therapy

Targeted drug treatments block abnormalities in cancer cells causing cancer cells to die.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses a patient's immune system interfering with the process of how cancer cells attack one's immune system.