Lung cancer, though largely
preventable, claims the lives of at least 150,000 people in the United States
each year. While approximately 87 percent of victims develop lung cancer from
smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, the remainder of victims—an alarming
19,500 people—develop and die from lung cancer not from tobacco but rather from
exposure to dangerous substances, such as asbestos, silica dust, radon, and
environmental pollutants.
Smoking and Other Causes of Lung
Cancer
The above cited lung cancer figures
don't account for victims whose cause of lung cancer may have been
misidentified: experts believe that thousands of people who were told their
lung cancer was caused by smoking in fact developed the disease because of
exposure to a toxic substance.
These lung cancer figures also
don't take into consideration people who both smoked and were exposed to
harmful substances. According to the Mesothelioma Information and Research
Group, studies have shown that smoking increases one's risk of asbestos-related
lung cancer by a factor of 10, while asbestos exposure alone increases the risk
of lung cancer by a factor of five. But when a smoker is exposed to asbestos,
he or she increases his or her lung cancer risk factor by about 50 times. Thus,
if you have developed lung cancer, smoking might not be to blame.
Common Symptoms of Lung Cancer
The most common symptoms of lung
cancer are as follows:
Persistent cough that worsens
over time
Continual chest pains
Coughing up or expectorating
blood
Shortness of breath, hoarseness,
tightening in the chest
Recurring pneumonia or bronchitis
Inflammation of the face and neck
Unexplained weight loss or loss
of appetite
Extreme exhaustion
The lung cancer symptoms
mentioned above are the most common experienced by lung cancer patients. If you
or a loved one is experiencing similar symptoms, or anything abnormal, it is
important to visit a physician for testing.
Diagnosing Lung Cancer
If lung cancer is a distinct
possibility, the doctor may analyze sputum under a microscope for signs of
cancerous cells. A tissue sample from the lungs is necessary for confirmation,
however. The sample can be gathered using one of several different procedures:
Bronchoscopy - A thin tube
equipped with a light is inserted in the mouth or nose, passed down through the
windpipe, and used to look at the breathing passages. Physicians can also use a
bronchoscope to collect small tissue samples.
Needle aspiration - The insertion
of a needle into a tumor in order to withdraw fluid and tissue cells.
Thoracentesis - Using a needle to
extract a sample of the fluid that surrounds the lungs.
Thoracotomy - Surgery to open the
chest cavity is sometimes necessary to diagnose lung cancer.
Staging Lung Cancer
If, upon an analysis of tissue
samples, the diagnosis is cancer, the physician will "stage" the
disease. This involves determining to which stage of lung cancer the condition
has advanced. If the cancer has metastasized to other parts of the body, it
will affect the treatment plan. Some of the tests performed to stage lung
cancer include: CAT scan, MRI, bone scan, and mediastinoscopy or mediastinotomy
(using a scope to view and remove tissue samples from lymph nodes in the
chest).
The Stages of Lung Cancer
Early stages of cancer mean that
the cancer is restricted to a single organ. A more advanced stage means that
the cancer has spread to surrounding organs.
In Stage 0, the cancer is located
in an extremely localized area and only affects the first few layers of cells.
At this stage, the cancer has not yet progressed beyond the surface lining of a
patient's lungs.
In Stage I, the cancer is located
only in the patient's lungs and the tissue surrounding the lungs is normal.
In Stage II, the cancer has
spread from the lungs and affected the lymph nodes near the lungs.
In Stage III, the cancer has
spread to other organs surrounding the lungs, such as the diaphragm and the
chest wall. In some cases, the cancer may also spread to separate parts of the
lymphatic system.
In Stage IV, the cancer has
spread to parts of the body that are not adjacent or near the lungs.
Tests to Determine the Stage of
Lung Cancer
There are a number of different
tests that enable the doctor to properly determine how much the lung cancer has
spread. These tests are covered below.
Computed tomography (CT) scan: A
CT scan is conducted by a computer that is connected to an x-ray machine. The
scan takes very detailed pictures of the part(s) of the body being evaluated.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):
This test utilizes a powerful magnet connected to a computer to take detailed
pictures of the part of the body being evaluated.
Radionuclide Scanning: This
technique allows the doctor to determine what stage a patient's cancer is in by
having her swallow or receive an injection of a low-dose of radioactive
material. A special machine will then record the changes in levels of
radioactivity in the body.
Bone Scan: This method, during
which levels of radioactivity are measured in certain areas of the body,
reveals whether cancer has spread to the bones.
Mediastinoscopy/Mediastinotomy:
Used to show whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the chest,
mediastinoscopy/mediastinotomy requires the doctor to use a bronchoscope to
examine the chest and surrounding lymph node, and extract a tissue sample.
Selecting a Lung Cancer Treatment
Using information acquired from
tests performed, the physician evaluates different cancer treatment options.
Different forms of lung cancer have different stages and the prognosis can vary
depending on each particular set of circumstances. In general, the earlier
cancer is detected (before it has advanced and spread throughout the body) the
better are the chances for successful treatment.
About Lung Cancer and Lung
Metastases
Lung cancer is similar to many
other forms of cancer. Cancer, which is the uncontrollable division and
replication of cells, usually originates in one part of the body. If left
untreated most cancer, including lung cancer, may spread, or metastasize, to
other parts of the body. This spread of lung metastases makes the cancer much
more difficult to treat.
Even if other organs are affected
by lung metastases, the lung cancer is still considered to be cancer of the
organ where it was first found. For example, if the disease initially develops
in the lungs but lung metastases spreads it the brain, lymph nodes, or
pancreas, it is still considered to be lung cancer.
As cancer cells replicate, they
form growths called tumors. These tumors are malignant, meaning that they
invade and destroy surrounding healthy cells and tissue. Once lung metastases
of cancer cells spread, they can overpower the healthy or non-cancerous tissue
in the body, ultimately resulting in death if not properly treated.
Types of Lung Cancer
Tumors in the lungs are divided
into two types: non-small lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.
Non-small cell lung cancer is by
far the most common type of lung cancer. It spreads slowly and surfaces as one
of three varieties: large cell lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, and
adenocarcinoma. These types tend to remain isolated in the lungs, meaning lung
metastases are less common among them.
Conversely, small cell lung
cancer is much more aggressive than non-small lung cancer and rapid formation
of lung metastases in other organs in the body is likely. Both types are
treatable if caught early, but neither is curable.
Other types of lung cancer
include pleural mesothelioma, silicosis, carcinoid tumor, and bronchioalveolar
carcinoma.
Contact a Lung Cancer Attorney
If you or someone you love
developed lung cancer or a lung disease as a result of exposure to a dangerous
substance, you may be entitled to a legal settlement for your condition. To
learn about you legal rights, it is important to contact a lung cancer attorney
in your state.
