spudgene

Lung cancer occurs when normal lung cells change into abnormal cells and grow uncontrollably. There are different types of lung cancer. Some types grow faster than others.

What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

Cough

Difficulty breathing

wheezing

Cough or bloody sputum

Dull, sharp, or stabbing chest pain

Hoarseness

Headache and swelling of the face, arms or neck

Loss of appetite

Weight Loss

If the cancer grows in the upper part of the lungs, it can also cause:

Arm, shoulder or neck pain

Drooping eyelid or blurred vision

Weakness of hand muscles

All these symptoms can occur with conditions other than lung cancer. But if you have these symptoms, be sure to inform your doctor.

What is the cause of lung cancer?

Smoking, especially cigarettes, has been the main cause of lung cancer

Inhaling cigarette smoke when someone else smokes is one of the causes of lung cancer in non-smokers.

air pollution

Genetics

Is there a test for lung cancer?

Yes. If your doctor has doubts, he will examine you and ask for a chest X-ray. If the chest X-ray shows findings that suggest cancer, you will be asked for additional tests, including:

Blood tests

A CT scan or PET scan, these scans take pictures of the inside of your body and can show abnormal growth.

Sampling, the doctor takes a small sample of lung tissue and examines it under a microscope for the presence of cancer.

What does lung cancer staging mean?

Lung cancer staging is the way doctors tell how far the cancer has spread. The right treatment for you depends on the stage of your lung cancer, the type of cancer, your age, and other medical problems.

How is lung cancer treated?

Most people with lung cancer are treated with one or a combination of the following methods:

surgery; Sometimes lung cancer can be treated through surgery to remove the cancerous tissue.

Radiotherapy: radiation kills cancer cells.

Chemotherapy; It is a medical modification to drugs that kill cancer cells or prevent their growth.

Targeted therapy: Some drugs work only for certain cancers and have specific characteristics. Your doctor may check your tumor to see if it responds to these drugs.

immunotherapy; A term doctors use for drugs that work through the immune system to prevent cancer from growing.

People with lung cancer may receive medication for other symptoms. For example, if you have trouble breathing because of fluid build-up around your lungs, your doctor can drain the fluid around your lungs to help you breathe more easily.

For some cancers, treatment takes a certain amount of time. For others, treatment is ongoing. You will be checked regularly for cancer recurrence after treatment or even cancer growth despite treatment. Follow-up examinations include physical examination and CT scan. You should also watch out for the symptoms mentioned above because having the above symptoms may mean that the cancer has returned or is growing. Tell your doctor if you have any symptoms.

What else should I do during the treatment process?

It is very important that you follow all your doctor's orders regarding visits and tests, and it is also important to talk to your doctor about any side effects or problems during treatment.

There are many choices in lung cancer treatment, including what treatment and when to receive it.

Always let your doctor know how you feel about your treatment, and whenever a treatment is offered to you, ask:

What are the benefits of this treatment? Will this treatment help me live longer? Will it reduce or eliminate my symptoms?

What are the disadvantages of this treatment?

Is there any other option?

What happens if I do not do this treatment?

What to do if the cancer recurs or starts to grow?

You may need more treatments than one of the mentioned items.

What is the importance of early detection of cancer?

Diagnosing the disease in the early stages can save the patient's life because lung cancer cells can spread to other organs (metastasis) before the doctor diagnoses it, and in this case the treatment process will be much more difficult.