Lung Cancer

What is lung cancer?

Lung cancers are believed to develop over a period of many years.

Nearly all lung cancers are carcinomas, a cancer that begins in the lining or covering tissues of an organ. The tumor cells of each type of lung cancer grow and spread differently, and each type requires different treatment. More than 95 percent of lung cancers belong to the group called bronchogenic carcinoma.

Lung cancers are generally divided into two types:

• Nonsmall cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer. The three main kinds of nonsmall cell lung cancer are named for the type of cells in the tumor:
  
  
  • Squamous cell carcinoma, also called epidermoid carcinoma, is the most common type of lung cancer in men. It often begins in the bronchi and usually does not spread as quickly as other types of lung cancer.
    
    
  • Adenocarcinoma usually begins along the outer edges of the lungs and under the lining of the bronchi. It is the most common type of lung cancer in women and in people who have never smoked.
    
    
  • Large cell carcinomas are a group of cancers with large, abnormal-looking cells. These tumors usually begin along the outer edges of the lungs.
    
    
• Small cell lung cancer, sometimes called oat cell cancer because the cancer cells may look like oats when viewed under a microscope, grows rapidly and quickly spreads to other organs.

It is important to determine whether a lung cancer is a small or non-small cell type, becasue these tumors are treated differently. The different types of carcinomas, involving different regions of the lung, may cause different symptoms and are treated differently.

What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

Lung cancer usually does not cause symptoms when it first develops, but they often become present after the tumor begins growing. A cough is the most common symptom of lung cancer. Other symptoms include:

• chest pain

• shortness of breath

• wheezing

• recurring lung infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis

• bloody or rust colored sputum

• hoarseness

• a tumor that presses on large blood vessels near the lung can cause swelling of the neck and face

• a tumor that presses on certain nerves near the lung causing pain and weakness in the shoulder, arm, or hand

• fever for unknown reason

Like all cancers, lung cancer can cause:

• fatigue
  
  
• loss of appetite
  
  
• loss of weight
  
  
• headache
  
  
• pain in other parts of the body not affected by the cancer
  
  
• bone fractures

Other symptoms can be caused by substances made by lung cancer cells - referred to as a paraneoplastic syndrome. Certain lung cancer cells produce a substance that causes a sharp drop in the level of sodium in the blood, which can cause many symptoms, including confusion and sometimes even coma.

None of these symptoms is a sure sign of lung cancer. Only a physician can tell whether a patient's symptoms are caused by cancer or by another problem. Consult your physician for a diagnosis.

What are the risk factors for lung cancer?

A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk factors. Several risk factors make a person more likely to develop lung cancer:

• Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, with more than 90 percent of lung cancers thought to be a result of smoking.

Additional risk factors include:

• secondhand smoke - breathing in the smoke of others

• smoking marijuana cigarettes, which:
  
  
  • contain more tar than tobacco cigarettes.
    
    
  • are inhaled very deeply.
    
    
  • are smoked all the way to the end where tar content is the highest.

  Because marijuana is an illegal substance, it is not possible to control whether it contains fungi, pesticides, and other additives.
  
  

• recurring inflammation, such as from tuberculosis and some types of pneumonia

• asbestos exposure
  
  
• talcum powder
  While no increased risk of lung cancer has been found from the use of cosmetic talcum powder, some studies of talc miners and millers suggest a higher risk of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases from their exposure to industrial grade talc. Talcum powder is made from talc, a mineral which, in its natural form, may contain asbestos, although, by law, all home-use talcum products (baby, body, and facial powders) have been asbestos-free.

• cancer-causing agents in the workplace, including:
  
  
  • radioactive ores such as uranium
  • arsenic
  • vinyl chloride
  • nickel chromates
  • coal products
  • mustard gas
  • chloromethyl ethers
    
    
• radon - a radioactive gas that cannot been seen, tasted, or smelled. It is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium.

• family history

• personal history of lung cancer

• vitamin A deficiency
  People who do not get enough vitamin A are at increased risk of lung cancer. Taking too much vitamin A may also increase lung cancer risk.

• air pollution
  In some cities, air pollution may slightly increase the risk of lung cancer.

How is lung cancer diagnosed?

In addition to a complete medical history to check for risk factors and symptoms, and a physical examination to provide other information about signs of lung cancer and other health problems, procedures used to diagnose lung cancer may include:

• chest x-ray - to look for any mass or spot on the lungs.

• other special x-rays - a diagnostic test which uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film; can provide more precise information about the size, shape, and position of a tumor.
  
  
• computed tomography scan (Also called a CT or CAT scan.) - a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general x-rays.

• sputum cytology - a study of phlegm (spit) cells under a microscope.

• needle biopsy - a needle is guided into the mass while the lungs are being viewed on a CT scan and a sample of the mass is removed and evaluated in the pathology laboratory under a microscope.

• bronchoscopy - the examination of the bronchi (the main airways of the lungs) using a flexible tube (bronchoscope). Bronchoscopy helps to evaluate and diagnose lung problems, assess blockages, obtain samples of tissue and/or fluid, and/or to help remove a foreign body.

• mediastinoscopy - a process in which a small cut is made in the neck so that a tissue sample can be taken from the lymph nodes (mediastinal nodes) along the windpipe and the major bronchial tube areas to evaluate under a microscope.

• x-rays and scans of the brain, liver, bone, and adrenal glands - to determine if the cancer has spread from where it started into other areas of the body.

Other tests and procedures may be used as well.

Treatment for lung cancer:

Specific treatment for lung cancer will be determined by your physician based on:

• your age, overall health, and medical history
• extent of the disease
• your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
• expectations for the course of the disease
• your opinion or preference

Lung cancer may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, laser therapy, or a combination of treatments.

• surgery
  Three main types of surgery are most often used in lung cancer treatment. The choice depends on the size and location of the tumor, the extent of the cancer, the general health of the patient, and other factors.
  
  
  • segmental or wedge resection - to remove only a small part of the lung
  • lobectomy - removal of an entire lobe of the lung
  • pneumonectomy - removal of an entire lung
    
    
• radiation therapy 

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells and to shrink tumors. Radiation may also be used with chemotherapy to treat lung cancer. There are two ways to deliver radiation therapy:

• • external radiation (external beam therapy) - a treatment that precisely sends high levels of radiation directly to the cancer cells. The machine is controlled by the radiation therapist. Since radiation is used to kill cancer cells and to shrink tumors, special shields may be used to protect the tissue surrounding the treatment area. Radiation treatments are painless and usually last a few minutes.
  • internal radiation (brachytherapy, implant radiation) - radiation is given inside the body as close to the cancer as possible. Substances that produce radiation, called radioisotopes, may be swallowed, injected, or implanted directly into the tumor. Some of the radioactive implants are called "seeds" or "capsules". Internal radiation involves giving a higher dose of radiation in a shorter time span than with external radiation. Some internal radiation treatments stay in the body temporarily. Other internal treatments stay in the body permanently, though the radioactive substance looses its radiation within a short period of time. In some cases, both internal and external radiation therapies are used.

 

• chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. In most cases, chemotherapy works by interfering with the cancer cell's ability to grow or reproduce. Different groups of drugs work in different ways to fight cancer cells. The oncologist will recommend a treatment plan for each individual. Chemotherapy may be given before other treatments, after other treatments, or alone for lung cancer. A targeted therapy, called Iressa, is a drug that  blocks a certain type of growth factor (EGF). Iressa has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a single agent treatment for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

 

• photodynamic therapy (PDT)

Photodynamic therapy is a type of laser treatment that involves injecting photosensitizing chemicals into the bloodstream. Cells throughout the body absorb the chemicals. The chemicals collect and stay longer in the cancer cells than in the healthy cells. At the right time, when the healthy cells surrounding the tumor may already be relatively free of the chemical, the light of a laser can be focused directly on the tumor. As the cells absorb the light, a chemical reaction destroys the cancer cells. For lung cancer, the light is delivered through a bronchoscope (a small, flexible tube with a light on the end) that is inserted through the mouth or nose.

Clinical trials are being conducted on prevention and treatment options for lung cancer, including photodynamic therapy and chemoprevention.

Cancer Care at Rush

When it comes to treating cancer, experience matters. And Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, has it, with one of the Midwest’s largest and most comprehensive cancer treatment programs, combining leading-edge therapies with vital emotional support.

For more information, visit the Cancer Programs home page.

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