Lung Cancer WHAT IT IS & WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

What is lung cancer? 2 types: 1. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). 85% of cases 2. Small cell lung cancer -10%- 15% of all lung cancer cases.

Symptoms of lung cancer Early stage symptoms:  Chest pain  Cough that doesn't go away  Coughing up blood  Fatigue  Losing weight without trying  Loss of appetite  Shortness of breath  Wheezing Late stage symptoms: Bone pain or tenderness Eyelid drooping Facial paralysis Hoarseness or changing voice Joint pain Nail problems Shoulder pain Swallowing difficulty Swelling of the face or arms Weakness

Biggest cause of lung cancer  The number one cause of lung cancer is cigarette smoke.  Smoking contributes to 70 percent and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths in women and men, respectively.  Men who smoke are 25 times more likely to develop lung cancer. Women are 25.7 times more likely, compared to never smokers.

Second-hand smoke  Exposure to secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers every year.  Nonsmokers have a 20-30% greater chance of developing lung cancer if they are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work.

The molecule behind most lung cancers Benzo[a]pyrene  Comes about by the burning of wood, cigarettes, car exhaust, coal tar, and charbroiled foods.  Charring/smoking food increases the risk of taking in BAP.

Other causes of lung cancer  Asbestos  Long term exposure to carcinogens  Family history of lung cancer  High levels of air pollution  High levels of arsenic in drinking water  Radiation therapy to the lungs

How many people are affected by lung cancer?  224,390 are estimated to be diagnosed in  The number of deaths due to lung cancer has increased approximately 4.3 percent between 1999 and 2008 from 152,156 to 158,656.

Metastasis  Spreading of the cancer from the lung to other parts of the body.  Once the cancer has spread, it becomes much more difficult treat. Early detection can prevent this from happening.

Lung cancer survival rates  The lung cancer five-year survival rate (16.3%) is lower than many other leading cancer sites  The five-year survival rate % for cases detected when the disease is still localized  For distant tumors - the five-year survival rate - 3.5%.

Screening Process  Low-dose spiral CT scans:  have been shown to decrease the risk of dying from lung cancer in heavy smokers  Must get annual scan if you are a heavy smoker or quit within the last 15 years.  If not a smoker, scan is not necessary.

Treatment  Surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies.  Radiation alone (for limited disease) or combined with chemotherapy (for extensive disease) is the usual treatment of choice for small cell lung cancer.

How do I avoid getting lung cancer?  Do not smoke!  If you are in an environment where smoking does occur, talk to your doctor about getting a CT scan to detect for lung cancer.  Early detection prevents the spread of the cancer

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Sources  1.  2. Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Facts and Figures  3.  4.  5.  6.  7.  8.  9.  Other types of lung cancer  Along with the 2 main types of lung cancer, other tumors can occur in the lungs.  Lung carcinoid tumors: Carcinoid tumors of the lung account for less than 5% of lung tumors. Most are slow-growing tumors that are called typical carcinoid tumors. They are generally cured by surgery. Some typical carcinoid tumors can spread, but they usually have a better prognosis (outlook) than small cell or non-small cell lung cancer.Atypical carcinoid tumors are less common. The outlook for these tumors is somewhere in between typical carcinoids and small cell lung cancer. For more information about typical and atypical carcinoid tumors, see our document, Lung Carcinoid Tumor.Lung Carcinoid Tumor  Other lung tumors: Other types of lung tumors such as adenoid cystic carcinomas, hamartomas, lymphomas, and sarcomas, are rare and are treated differently from the more common lung cancers. They are not discussed in this document.  Cancers that spread to the lungs: Cancers that start in other organs (such as the breast, pancreas, kidney, or skin) can sometimes spread (metastasize) to the lungs, but these are not lung cancers. For example, cancer that starts in the breast and spreads to the lungs is still breast cancer, not lung cancer. Treatment for metastatic cancer to the lungs is based on where it started (the primary cancer site). For information on these cancers, refer to our separate documents on each.breastpancreaskidneyskinseparate documents on each   