| Lung cancer is
the most common cancer afflicting Malaysian males, according to
the National Cancer Registry 2003. There are two main types of
lung cancer, primary and secondary. Primary lung cancer arises in
the lungs and can be either small cell lung cancer or non small
cell lung cancer. Secondary lung cancers are those that have
spread to the lungs from other parts of the body. In America
whenever we talk about lung cancer we always have to think about
mesothelioma cancer as well.
The main three symptoms to lung cancer that should not be ignored are shortness of breath, pain when breathing or coughing, and existence of a persistent cough, especially if it is accompanied by expectoration of sputum streaked with blood. Additionally, loss of appetite, fatigue, unusual losses of weight are three symptoms, which are indicative of lung cancer.
If the lung cancer spread to other parts of the body, there will
be other symptoms.
After taking history and doing a physical examination the doctor will carry
out various tests and procedures to evaluate the lung cancer.
Because of the non-specific nature of symptoms of Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma tests are imperative to rule out incidence of the disease when lung cancer symptoms show up. Early detection of Mesothelioma cancer substantiated by clear information of patient’s exposure to asbestos can help
the doctor to plan the course of treatment.
Chest x-ray is a simple but important
preliminary test. It is helpful and indicative , but very often is
not conclusive. So other tests will be necessary.
Examples of these tests are computerized axial tomography (CAT
scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), position emission
tomography (PET scan), sputum cytology, bronchoscopy, lymph node
biopsy, fine needle aspiration, mediastinoscopy, thoracocentesis.
Treatment depend on the stage and the type
of cancer and other factors like general health and age of
patients. Small cell lung cancer grows faster than non small cell
lung cancer but also responds better to chemotherapy. Stage 1 and
Stage 2 non small cell lung cancer are curable by surgery. Stage 4
cancers are not curable. The treatment goal is therefore
palliative.
Current treatments do not cure the cancer
in most patients because lung cancer are normally diagnosed late.
The five year survival rate is less than 15%.
If you have questions related to this article you may e-mail me
at doctor@soontongkiong.com quoting the contents of the article.
About the author
DR SOON is a medical practitioner. He holds four degrees. MBBS
(University of Malaya), MBA (University of East Asia), LLB (Hons)
(University of Wolverhampton), Master of Medicine (Edith Cowan
University
:
Dr SOON is the owner of AskMyVisitor.com and MyScriptDoctor.com
where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information
on
many medical, health and lifestyle topics.
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