Lung Cancer Treatment

 

Lung cancer is a disease characterised by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary lung cancers, are carcinomas that derive from epithelial cells. The lungs are located in the chest. They help you breathe. When you breathe, air goes through your nose, down your windpipe (trachea), and into the lungs, where it spreads through tubes called bronchi. Most lung cancer begins in the cells that line these tubes.

There are two main types of lung cancer- small cell lung cancer and non small cell cancer. It is caused due to many reason including smoking, passive smoking, and exposure to asbestos and radon gas.The most common cause of lung cancer is long-term exposure to tobacco smoke. The risk of getting lung cancer is increased if there is family history of lung cancer.

Treatment depends on the specific type of lung cancer. Each type is treated differently. Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery may be needed.

Prognostic factors in non-small-cell lung cancer include presence or absence of pulmonary symptoms, tumor size, cell type (histology), degree of spread (stage) and metastases to multiple lymph nodes, and vascular invasion. For non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), prognosis is generally poor. Prognostic factors in small-cell lung cancer include performance status, gender, stage of disease, and involvement of the central nervous system or liver at the time of diagnosis. For small-cell lung carcinoma, prognosis is also generally poor.