Excerpted from M.D. Anderson's adaptation of NCI's "What You Need to Know About Lung Cancer"
What are the symptoms of lung cancer?Common signs and symptoms of lung cancer include:
• A cough that doesn’t go away and gets worse over time
• Constant chest pain
• Coughing up blood
• Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness
• Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis
• Swelling of the neck and face
• Loss of appetite or weight loss
• Fatigue
These symptoms may be caused by esophageal cancer or by other conditions.
How is lung cancer diagnosed?If any of the above symptoms do occur, your doctor will evaluate your medical history, smoking history, exposure to environmental and occupational hazards, and family history of cancer. The doctor will also perform a physical exam and may order a chest x-ray and other diagnostic tests. If lung cancer is thought to be present, a sputum cytology test will be ordered to exam your mucous cells under a microscope. To confirm the presence of lung cancer, the doctor will perform a biopsy—the removal of a small sample of tissue from the lung for examination under a microscope. A number of procedures may be used to obtain this tissue such as a bronchoscope, needle aspiration, thoracentesis, or thoracotomy.
What is staging?If the diagnosis is lung cancer, your doctor will need to know the stage (or extent) of the disease. Staging is a way to find how far the cancer has spread and to which parts of the body. Lung cancer often spreads to the brain and bones. Once your doctor knows what stage your cancer is, he or she can plan your treatment. Some tests used to determine if the cancer has spread include CAT/CT scan (computerized tomography), PET scan (Positron emission tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), radionuclide scanning, bone scan, and/or mediastinoscopy/mediastinotomy.
How is lung cancer treated?The treatment of lung cancer depends on a number of factors, including the type of lung cancer (NSCLC or SCLC); the size, location, extent of the tumor; and the general health of the patient. Many different treatments and combinations of treatments may be used to control lung cancer, and/or to improve quality of life by reducing symptoms. Treatments for lung cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and photodynamic therapy. Clinical trials are also a treatment option.
How is non–small cell lung cancer treated?Patients with non-small cell lung cancer may be treated in several ways. The choice of treatment depends mainly on the size, location, and extent of the tumor. Surgery is the most common way to treat this type of lung cancer. Cryosurgery, a treatment that freezes and destroys cancer tissue, may be used to control symptoms in the later stages of non-small cell lung cancer. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may also be used to slow the progress of the disease and to manage symptoms.
How is small cell lung cancer treated?Small cell lung cancer spreads quickly. In many cases, cancer cells have already spread to other parts of the body when the disease is diagnosed. In order to reach cancer cells throughout the body, doctors almost always use chemotherapy. Treatment may also include radiation therapy aimed at the tumor in the lung or tumors in other parts of the body (such as in the brain). Some patients have radiation therapy to the brain even though no cancer is found there. This treatment, called prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI), is give to prevent tumors from forming in the brain. Surgery is part of the treatment plan for a small number of patients with small cell lung cancer.
