What to know about lung cancer

 Lung cancer is a condition that causes cells to divide in the lungs uncontrollably. This causes the growth of tumors that reduce a person’s ability to breathe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 218,527 people in the United States received a lung cancer diagnosis in 2015. Early diagnosis can help a person seek treatment, as early as possible, in the disease’s course.

Identifying lung cancer in its earliest stages can be difficult, however, because the symptoms may be similar to those of a respiratory infection, or there may be no symptoms at all.

In this article, we explain the nature of lung cancer, how to recognize the symptoms, and the ways doctors treat lung cancer before it becomes life-threatening.

What is lung cancer?

Cancer causes certain mutations in otherwise healthy cells.

Typically, the body programs cells to die at a certain stage in their life cycle to avoid overgrowth. Cancer overrides this instruction, causing cells to grow and multiply when they should not.

The overgrowth of cells leads to the development of tumors and the harmful effects of cancer.

In lung cancer, this pattern of cell overgrowth occurs in the lungs, which are vital organs for breathing and gas exchange.

Doctors typically diagnose two lung cancer types, small cell and non-small cell, depending on how they appear under a microscope. A person is more likely to have non-small cell lung cancer than small cell.

While anyone can develop lung cancer, cigarette smoking and exposure to smoke can increase the likelihood that a person will experience the condition. Lung cancer can develop if a person has a history of exposure to inhaled chemicals or other toxins.

Even if this exposure to chemicals and other toxins was a long time ago, it could cause changes in lung cells that lead to cancer.

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Symptoms

In people with lung cancer, symptoms do not always occur until the condition has reached a later stage.

However, some people may notice symptoms, which they may think are related to a less serious, acute illness.

Examples of these symptoms include:

• appetite loss
• changes to a person’s voice, such as hoarseness
• frequent chest infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia
• lingering cough that may start to get worse
• shortness of breath
• unexplained headaches
• weight loss
• wheezing

A person may also experience more severe symptoms associated with lung cancer. These include severe chest or bone pain or coughing up blood.

Diagnosis

If a doctor identifies a suspicious lesion on a lung cancer screening, or a person is experiencing symptoms that could indicate lung cancer, several diagnostic tests are available to confirm the next steps.

Examples of these include:

Imaging studies: Computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans might reveal areas of lung tissue with cancer. Bone scans can also indicate cancerous growths. Doctors may also use these scans to track the progress of treatment or to ensure cancer has not returned, following a course of treatment.

Source: Medical News Today