Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a disease predominantly of the elderly. Nearly 70% of people diagnosed with the disease are over 65 years of age, while less than 3% of cases occur in people under age 45. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. It causes more deaths than breast, and prostate cancer combined. The symptoms of lung cancer can take many years to develop. This often leads to diagnosis at an advanced stage of the disease. Symptoms of lung cancer vary depending on the exact location of the tumor and the extent it has spread (“Lung Cancer Signs and Symptoms”).

About 25% of people who get lung cancer do not have any symptoms when the cancer is found. In these cases the cancer is first discovered on a routine chest x-ray or CAT scan. The growth of the cancer and invasion of lung tissues may interfere with breathing. This leads to symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, and coughing up blood. If the cancer has invaded nerves, it may cause shoulder pain that travels down the outside of the arm called Pancoast's Syndrome, or paralysis of the vocal cords leading to hoarseness. Invasion of the esophagus can lead to difficulty swallowing. If a large airway is obstructed, collapse of a portion of the lung may occur and cause infections such as pneumonia. Lung cancer that has spread to the bones may produce terrible pain at the sites of bone involvement. Cancer that has spread to the brain may cause a number of neurological symptoms including blurred vision, headaches, seizures, or symptoms of stroke (Stoppler).

Lung cancers are known as bronchogenic carcinomas and are broadly classified into two types: small cell lung cancers and non-small cell lung cancers. This classification is based upon the microscopic appearance of the tumor cells. These two types of cancers grow and spread in different ways and may have different treatment options, so a distinction between the two is very important. Small...