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McKesson Clinical Reference Systems: Women's Health Advisor 2002.2
Illustration
Lung Cancer
What is lung cancer?
Lung cancer is a growth of malignant cells that started
growing in the lungs. Your lungs take up most of the space
in your chest. They breathe in oxygen needed by your body
and breathe out carbon dioxide, which is a waste product.
Lung cancer spreads to other parts of the body, most often
the liver, brain, and bones. Cancer from other parts of the
body may also spread to the lungs, but this is not called
lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer in the
US and the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and
women.
How does it occur?
Almost 90% of lung cancers develop in smokers or former
smokers. If you stop smoking, your risk for lung cancer
begins to decrease right away.
Other factors that increase your risk for lung cancer
include exposures to:
- other people's smoke (secondhand smoke, or passive smoking)
- air pollution
- radiation
- coal dust
- asbestos
- radon gas
- industrial chemicals such as the byproducts from
petroleum refining.
What are the symptoms?
Lung cancer may grow for a while without causing symptoms.
Symptoms may include:
- a cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath,
wheezing, hoarseness
- chest pain
- repeated chest infections, asthma, fluid around the lung
- swelling in the neck or face
- tiredness, weakness, loss of weight.
If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, the
symptoms will depend on the area it affects.
How is it diagnosed?
Your health care provider will review your symptoms and
examine you. A sample of sputum may show if cancer cells
are present. Some of the following tests also will be done:
- chest x-rays
- CT (computed tomography) scans of your chest
- CT or other scans of other parts of your body to look for
spread of the disease
- a complete blood count (CBC)
- liver-function blood tests.
If x-rays or scans show a suspicious area in the lung, a
sample of cells can also be taken for testing (a biopsy).
Biopsies can be done by:
- numbing the area and putting a hollow needle through
the chest wall
- passing a lighted instrument called a bronchoscope into
an airway of the lung to see and sample abnormal areas
- surgery to remove abnormal tissue.
How is it treated?
Treatment depends on the type, size, and stage of the cancer
and your own general health. If you have a single tumor
with little or no spread into nearby tissues, you will
probably have surgery. Radiation and chemotherapy
(anticancer drugs) may be used in combination with surgery.
In some cases chemotherapy or chemotherapy and radiation
therapy may be recommended instead of surgery.
How can I take care of myself?
Follow your health care provider's recommended treatment and
keep all your follow-up appointments. To help take care of
yourself during your treatment and recovery, follow these
guidelines:
- Stop smoking, if you smoke.
- Exercise according to your health care provider's
recommendations.
- Eat regular, nutritious meals, as recommended by your
provider or dietitian.
- Get plenty of rest.
- Drink plenty of liquids to keep your lung secretions
moist and fluid.
- Develop a support system of people you can talk to
comfortably. Ask for help at home or work when the load
is too great to handle.
- Use methods to reduce stress that work for you, such as
participating in recreational activities and hobbies,
listening to music, or doing relaxation and deep
breathing exercises.
- Discuss with your health care provider or a mental health
professional the events in your life that make you
anxious. Ask for help in developing positive ways to
cope with these events.
Call your health care provider if any symptoms recur. Your
provider will tell you what new signs and symptoms to watch
for and when to call or make an appointment.
What can be done to help prevent lung cancer?
Not all of the causes of lung cancer are known, but
following these guidelines can help reduce the risk of some
of the more common kinds of lung cancer:
- Stop smoking and stay away from other people's smoke.
- Stay away from environmental hazards, such as radon,
and asbestos, and, when possible, severe air pollution.
Use on-the-job protective equipment when it's
recommended.
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