Late stages
Lung cancer at an early stage often occurs asymptomatically. At a later stage, hemoptysis may occur, as well as the following symptoms:
- persistent cough;
- chest pain;
- persistent or recurrent respiratory infections;
- dyspnea;
- wheezing;
- hoarseness of voice;
- decreased body weight;
- lack of appetite;
- fatigue;
- pain in the shoulder or arm.
Other symptoms are usually associated with the spread of metastases - the migration of cancer cells to other organs through the blood and lymph vessels. For example, the spread of a tumor in the bone can be accompanied by intense pain and fractures, liver metastases are often the cause of ascites and jaundice, and in the brain - changes in behavior. The vast majority of cases of lung cancer is associated with smoking. A terrible disease of lung cancer, clinical manifestations appear already at a serious stage of the disease.
Smoking
The risk of developing a tumor increases with the increase in the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the length of smoking. However, it tends to decrease with the abandonment of this harmful habit. The inhalation of cigarette smoke by non-smokers (so-called passive smoking) increases the likelihood of the disease by about 15%. Switching from cigarettes to smoking pipes or cigars somewhat reduces the risk, but it remains significantly higher than that of non-smokers.
Atmospheric pollution
A small percentage of cases of lung cancer is associated with atmospheric pollution, as well as inhalation of industrial dust containing particles of asbestos, arsenic, chromium, iron oxide, coal tar and combustion products.
Secondary tumors
Malignant process in other organs, for example, the mammary glands or prostate, can be accompanied by the formation of a secondary tumor in the lung with similar symptoms.
Morbidity
Men, in addition to women, contract lung cancer three times more often, but this difference decreases with an increase in the number of women smokers. Among the main causes of female deaths from cancer, this form of cancer ranks second after breast cancer. The diagnosis of lung cancer is usually based on anamnesis and clinical examination results. In addition to pulmonary symptoms, it is necessary to pay attention to signs of hormonal disorders, degeneration of muscles and nerve fibers, anemia, thrombosis, changes in joints, skin rash. These symptoms in some cases accompany malignant changes in the lungs.
Thickening of phalanges of fingers
Thickening of the end phalanges of the fingers and toes (like "drumsticks") is observed in 30% of cases of lung cancer, but it occurs in a number of other diseases, for example, in congenital heart diseases.
Types of lung cancer
Small cell carcinoma is the most malignant and fast-growing tumor. It accounts for approximately 20-30% of all cases of lung cancer. It develops from hormone-producing cells, so in some cases some of the symptoms are caused by hormonal disorders. Non-small cell carcinoma is a group of tumors characterized by slower growth. They include:
- squamous cell carcinoma;
- large-celled cancer;
- alveolar cancer;
- adenocarcinoma of the lung (a tumor associated with the inhalation of asbestos, and also the most common in non-smokers).
For the diagnosis of lung cancer, the following methods are used:
- Chest X-ray - allows to identify tumors with a diameter of 1-2 cm (tumors of smaller dimensions are not radioliologically detected). At the time of onset of symptoms, 90% of lung lesions are visualized by radiography;
- computed tomography - allows to identify smaller formations, but some of them may remain unrecognized when using this method;
- magnetic resonance scanning - provides optimal visualization of the tumor and enlarged lymph nodes located near the large vessels of the lungs.
Bronchoscopy
Bronchoscopy is a method for studying airway pathways using a thin flexible fiber optic device - a bronchoscope. It can also be used to sample a tissue of bronchogenic tumors and flush cells from other parts of the lung for laboratory testing.
Puncture biopsy
In the course of this study, a thin transthoracic needle inserted into the chest cavity under X-ray or CT control is used to take a tissue sample from a suspicious formation. The general prognosis for patients with lung cancer is unfavorable, however, if a tumor is detected at an early stage and there are no metastases, surgical intervention can lead to a cure. The method of choice for patients with significant impairment of pulmonary function is high-dose radiation therapy. For patients with a slowly progressing squamous cell tumor, both surgical and radiotherapy methods can be effective.
Surgical intervention
The most effective treatment for non-small cell lung cancer is surgery, but it is only suitable for 20% of patients, with a five-year survival rate of only 25-30%. The risk of death due to surgery is particularly high in patients older than 65 years. Most of them are smokers and often have concomitant diseases of the respiratory system, such as bronchitis and emphysema.
Chemotherapy
Small cell carcinoma is the only form of lung cancer in which chemotherapy is advisable, but its effectiveness may be short-lived. The average life expectancy of patients with chemotherapy is 11 months after the end of treatment (compared to 4 months without chemotherapy). About 10% of patients with a limited form of cancer survive 2-3 years after treatment.
Methods of treatment of lung cancer include:
And surgical intervention - removal of the primary tumor (in the absence of metastases and a satisfactory state of the patient);
- Radiation therapy - is of particular importance in the treatment of inoperable tumors;
- Chemotherapy is the main method of treating small cell lung cancer.
Incurable Cancer
To ease the condition of hopeless patients, the following methods are used:
- the introduction of a miniature stent to maintain the open lumen of bronchial tubes blocked by the tumor;
- the introduction of radioactive drugs directly into the bronchi;
- radiation therapy with small doses of radiation to relieve bone pain, severe coughing and hemoptysis;
- the appointment of steroids to improve appetite;
- the use of morphine and other narcotic analgesics for pain relief.