Lung Cancer

The Lung Cancer

Currently the number of people who suffered or died by lung cancer is increasing every year, so be aware and prepare your self to identify the symptoms of lung cancer as it is conducive to the treatment.

The lung cancer is one of the most common primary malignant tumors of the human lung, which mostly originates in bronchial epithelium, so lung cancer can also be called bronchial lung cancer.


The Causes

Inhaled carcinogens substances are primarily mentioned as the causes,  for example that 85% of case in smoker cause of the benzopyrene content in cigarette smoke. Occupational carcinogens such as asbestos or substances containing arsenic may also be the cause. Genetic predisposition also indicate plays a role.


The Symptoms

There are usually no symptoms or warning signs in the early stages, thus it is easily ignored, resulting in delay of treatment.

 1. Cough
There are about two thirds of patients have cough, which is the most common symptom of early lung cancer. It can be manifested as mild dry cough, severe cough, cough with high frequency or cough at night.

2. Hemoptysis (Coughing up blood)
It is also a symptom of early lung cancer and it is more obvious in male smokers. It is manifested as coughing up phlegm with blood or intermittent bloody sputum, and having repeated infections somewhere in the region of lungs.

3. Chest pain
It is a symptom in about 30 percent of people with lung cancer. If the tumor is close to lung membrane, the pain can be dull or vague and cough intensifies when breathing or coughing. If cancer has invaded lung membrane, persistent pain can be caused.

4. Fever
Fever due to lung cancer is a kind of cancerous heat which is mostly caused by inflammation that tumor blocks bronchus of lung, causing inadequate drainage. The fever is generally below 38 degree, ineffective to antibiotic treatment, and tends to develop repeatedly.

5. Chest distress and shortness of breath
They are most common symptoms of early lung cancer. They usually result from a blockage to the flow of air in part of the lung, collection of fluid around the lung (pleural effusion), or the spread of tumor throughout the lungs.

6. Clubbed finger
Known as drum hammer finger, it is manifested as enlargement of the first joint of fingers and toes, protruded and curved of nails, and pain. If you find yourself having those signs, you need to pay attention to prevent lung cancer.

7. Arthritis
It is manifested as wandering and burning pain of the joint of elbow, knee, ankle, wrist, and finger, inability to use the hand or walk.


Lung Cancer Treatment


There treatment for lung cancer are mainly surgery, the other treatment options such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, traditional medicine treatment, etc.

1.Surgery
　　Surgery is applied to remove tumors, including radical resection and palliative resection. But only patients with early and middle lung cancer are applicable to radical resection, which only accounts for less than 40% of the total patients with lung cancer.
　　Currently, surgery is still one of the major options for lung cancer treatment. The indications and types of surgery are determined by location, involved region of tumor and patient's general condition especially cardiopulmonary function reserve. The principle of surgery is to completely remove lesions and maximally preserve healthy lung tissues.

2. Radiation therapy
　　Radiation therapy includes irradiation in cavity and irradiation in vitro. The devices include radium, X-ray machine, cobalt bomb, accelerator which are mostly used and post-installed machine, "photon knife" which are developed in recent years.
　　Radiotherapy can be also used as adjunctive therapy before and after surgery so as to increase resection rate and long-term survival rate after surgery, besides, radiotherapy is also applicable to squamous cell carcinoma that cannot be treated by surgery or that are recurrent and metastatic.
　　Radiotherapy can be divided into simple radiotherapy and comprehensive radiotherapy. Simple radiotherapy consists of radical radiotherapy and palliative radiotherapy. To choose which kind of radiotherapy should be in accordance with pathological types, extent, and metastatic situation of lung cancer, lung function and systemic conditions. Comprehensive radiotherapy combines radiotherapy with surgery and chemotherapy, which has higher survival rate than any other single treatment.

3.Treatment of Advanced Lung Cancer
　　For patients with advanced lung cancer, surgery should be tried to remove primary cancer and metastatic lymph nodes, supplementing with radiotherapy and chemotherapy and other lung cancer treatment methods.