Lung cancer starts in your lungs, which are the spongy organs in the chest. They help you breathe by taking in oxygen when you breathe in and getting rid of carbon dioxide when you breathe out.
It is the number one reason for cancer-related deaths all around the world.
There are two main types, and both of them are treated very differently. They are:
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
It is further divided into subtypes:
- Adenocarcinoma – It starts in cells that normally secrete substances like mucus. It is also the most common type of lung cancer seen in people who do not smoke. It is more common in women than men and is more likely to occur in younger people.
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma – As the name suggests, it starts in squamous cells, which are flat cells that line the inside of the airways in the lungs.
- Large Cell Carcinoma – this can appear in any part of the lung and tends to grow and spread rapidly, which is why it is harder to treat.
- Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
This type tends to grow and spread faster than non-small cell. This type of cancer responds well to chemotherapy and radiotherapy because it grows quickly.
Causes of Lung Cancer
- Smoking – The most common cause is smoking. Smoking causes cancer as it damages the line of the lungs. When you inhale smoke that is full of carcinogens, the lung tissues begin to change.
- Radon exposure – Prolonged exposure to naturally occurring radioactive gas, radon, can cause lung cancer.
- Genetic Mutation – Certain genetic mutations can make people more likely to develop lung cancer.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
- Shortness of breath
- Hoarseness of voice
- Swelling in the lymph nodes (middle of the chest)
- Cough that doesn’t go away
- Chest pain
- Frequent infections like pneumonia or bronchitis
- Coughing of blood
- Fatigue
Prevention of Lung cancer
- Avoid smoking
- Eat healthy foods
- Exercise regularly
- Protect yourself against carcinogens at work
Diagnosis of Lung Cancer
- Imaging tests – A chest X-ray may show an abnormal mass or nodules in the lungs, while a CT scan can reveal small lesions that X-rays might miss.
- Biopsy – In this procedure, doctors remove a sample of abnormal cells to study them for signs of cancer.
- Spirometry – It is a lung function test that checks how well the lungs are working.
- Thoracoscopy – It uses a tube with a light and camera to take a tissue sample from the lungs.
Treatment of Lung Cancer
- Surgery – The surgeon aims to remove the lung cancer and a margin of healthy tissue around it. In some extreme cases, the surgeon might recommend the removal of an entire lung. Doctors suggest surgery as an option when the cancer hasn’t spread. The doctors might recommend chemotherapy or radiation therapy before the surgery to shrink the tumours.
- Radiation Therapy – Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation like X-rays and protons to kill the cancer cells or halt their growth. It is often used in combination with chemotherapy treatments. If surgery is not possible for a certain case, radiation therapy in combination with chemotherapy might be the primary treatment.
- Chemotherapy – This treatment uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells. It does this either by killing the cancer cells or by preventing their further division. It can be done either intravenously or orally. The drugs enter the bloodstream and reach the cancer cells across the body. Sometimes, it is also used after surgery to kill the remnant cancer cells.
- Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy – It is an intense radiation treatment that aims at many beams of high-energy radiation from different angles at cancer. Doctors may suggest it for people with small lung cancers who can’t have surgery or when cancer has spread to other parts of the body.