What is Lung Cancer?

Risk factors:

A number of factors may increase your risk of lung cancer. Some risk factors can be controlled, for instance, by quitting smoking. And other factors can't be controlled, such as your family history.

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Risk factors for lung cancer include:

Smoking: Your risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke each day and the number of years you have smoked. Quitting at any age can significantly lower your risk of developing lung cancer.

Exposure to secondhand smoke. Even if you don't smoke, your risk of lung cancer increases if you're exposed to secondhand smoke.

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Previous radiation therapy: If you've undergone radiation therapy to the chest for another type of cancer, you may have an increased risk of developing lung cancer.

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Exposure to radon gas: Radon is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water that eventually becomes part of the air you breathe. Unsafe levels of radon can accumulate in any building, including homes.

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Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens: Workplace exposure to asbestos and other substances known to cause cancer — such as arsenic, chromium and nickel — can increase your risk of developing lung cancer, especially if you're a smoker.

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Family history of lung cancer: People with a parent, sibling or child with lung cancer have an increased risk of the disease.

Stages

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The staging of cancer describes how far it has spread through the body and how severe it is. Staging helps health care professionals and individuals decide on a suitable course of treatment.

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The most basic form of staging is as follows:

Localized, wherein the cancer is within a limited area

Regional, wherein the cancer has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes

Distant, wherein the cancer has spread to other parts of the body

 

Types of Lung Cancer:

 

Lung cancers usually are grouped into two main types called small cell and non-small cell lung cancer.These types of lung cancer grow differently and are treated differently. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer.

 

Small cell lung cancer: Small cell lung cancer occurs almost exclusively in heavy smokers and is less common than non-small cell lung cancer.

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Non-small cell lung cancer: Non-small cell lung cancer is an umbrella term for several types of lung cancers. Non-small cell lung cancers include squamous cell carcinoma, adeno carcinoma and large cell carcinoma.

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Treatment For Lung Cancer:

Chemotherapy: Both NSCLC and SLC may be treated with Chemotherapy.

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Targeted Therapy: Molecularly targeted therapy involves the administration of drugs that have been identified to work in subsets of patients whose tumors have specific genetic changes that promote tumor growth.

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EGFR-targeted therapies: The drugs erlotinib, afatinib, and gefitinib are examples of so-called targeted drugs that more specifically target cancer cells, resulting in less damage to normal cells than general chemotherapeutic agents.

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Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy may be an effective option for some patients with advanced lung cancers. Immunotherapy drugs work by strengthening the activity of the immune system against tumor cells. The immunotherapy drugs nivolumab and pembrolizumab are checkpoint inhibitors that target checkpoints or areas that control the immune response and promote the immune response. These two drugs target the PD-1 protein, which strengthens the immune response against the cancers. Atezolizumab and durvalumab are examples of drugs that target PD-L1, a protein related to PD-1 that is found on some tumor cells and immune cells.

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Prognosis & Life Expectancy: 

The prognosis of lung cancer refers to the chance for cure or prolongation of life (survival) and is dependent upon where the cancer is located, the size of the cancer, the presence of symptoms, the type of lung cancer, and the overall health status of the patient.

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SCLC has the most aggressive growth of all lung cancers, with a median survival time of only two to four months after diagnosis when untreated. However, SCLC is also the type of lung cancer most responsive to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Because SCLC spreads rapidly and is usually disseminated at the time of diagnosis, methods such as surgical removal or localized radiation therapy are less effective in treating this type of lung cancer. When chemotherapy is used alone or in combination with other methods, survival time can be prolonged four- to five fold; however, of all patients with SCLC, only 5%-10% are still alive five years after diagnosis. Most of those who survive have limited-stage SCLC before treatment.

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In non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most important prognostic factor is the stage (extent of spread) of the tumor at the time of diagnosis. Results of standard treatment are generally poor in all but the smallest of cancers that can be surgically removed. However, in stage I cancers that can be completely removed surgically, five-year survival approaches 75%. Radiation therapy can produce a cure in a small minority of patients with NSCLC and leads to relief of symptoms in most patients. In advanced-stage disease, chemotherapy offers modest improvements in survival although rates of overall survival are poor.

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The overall prognosis for lung cancer is poor when compared with some other cancers. Survival rates for lung cancer are generally lower than those for most cancers.

 

 

Preventive Measures:

Cessation of smoking and eliminating exposure to tobacco smoke is the most important measure that can prevent lung cancer. Many products, such as nicotine gum, nicotine sprays, or nicotine inhalers, may be helpful to people trying to quit smoking.