Lung Cancer
Overview
- Cancer that starts in the lungs
- May spread to lymph nodes or other organs in the body
- Cancer from other organs may spread to the lungs
- Metastasis: when cancer cells spread from one organ to another
- Two types:
- Small cell
- Non-small cell
- The two types grow differently and are treated differently
- Non-small cell is more common than small cell
Risk Factors
- Smoking
- Secondhand smoke
- Radon
- Other substances:
- Asbestos
- Arsenic
- Diesel
- Exhaust
- Silica
- Chromium
- Personal or Family History of Lung Cancer
- Radiation Therapy to the Chest
- Diet
Symptoms
- Chronic coughing or coughing that worsens
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Coughing up blood
- Abnormal tiredness
- Abnormal weight loss
Reducing Risk
- Do not smoke
- Avoid secondhand smoke
- Get your home tested for radon
- Be careful at work for exposure of cancerogenic materials (ship building, roofing, plumbing, aerospace, sandblasting, foundries, mines, coal workers)
Treatment
- Non-small cell: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy
- Small cell: radiation therapy, chemotherapy
- Complementary medicine: acupuncture, dietary supplements, massage therapy, hypnosis, meditation
- Alternative medicine: special diets, megadose vitamins, herbal preparations, special teas, magnet therapy
Statistics
- 2018:
- 218,520 new cases in the United States, 142,080 deaths in the United States
- For every 100,000 people, 54 new cases and 35 deaths
- 5-Year Relative Survival: 21.7%