Lung Cancer
Pathogenesis
Incidence/prevalence
Risk Factors
Factors you can change:
Factors you can't change:
Lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is the second most common cancer in both men and women (not counting skin cancer). In men, prostate cancer is more common, while in women breast cancer is more common.
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for lung cancer in the United States for 2022 are:
About 236,740 new cases of lung cancer (117,910 in men and 118,830 in women)
About 130,180 deaths from lung cancer (68,820 in men and 61,360 in women)
Most people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 or older; a very small number of people diagnosed are younger than 45. The average age of people when diagnosed is about 70.
Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, making up almost 25% of all cancer deaths. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.
develops when normal lung cells change, or mutate, in a way that alters their natural growth and death cycle, resulting in unregulated cell division that produces too many cells.
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The rapidly dividing cells do not carry out the functions of normal lung cells or develop into healthy lung tissue. Instead, they accumulate and form lung masses, or tumors, which may be visible in a chest X-ray or CT scan.
As lung cancer progresses, some cancerous cells may break away from the original tumor and invade healthy tissues, such as nearby lymph nodes, or travel through the bloodstream and reach distant tissues and organs, such as the brain, adrenal glands or bones.Any cancer that originates in the lungs and metastasizes to another tissue or organ is still classified as lung cancer, regardless of where in the body it is located.
Not every cancer grows at the same rate. Even if it did, and you were able to reliably estimate how fast your cancer would grow, you would still need more information.
These gene mutations may be inherited, develop over time as we get older and genes wear out, or develop if we are around something that damages our genes, like cigarette smoke, alcohol or ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
Smoking tobacco
Exposure to secondhand smoke
Exposure to asbestos
Exposure to cancer causing chemicals in the workplace
Arsenic in drinking water
Air pollution
Family history of lung cancer
Previous radiation therapy to lung
Diagnostics
Imaging tests. An X-ray image of your lungs may reveal an abnormal mass or nodule. A CT scan can reveal small lesions in your lungs that might not be detected on an X-ray.
Sputum cytology. If you have a cough and are producing sputum, looking at the sputum under the microscope can sometimes reveal the presence of lung cancer cells.
Tissue sample (biopsy). A sample of abnormal cells may be removed in a procedure called a biopsy.
Clinical manifestations
A new cough that doesn't go away
Coughing up blood, even a small amount
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Treatment
Lung cancer is treated in several ways, depending on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread. People with non-small cell lung cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of these treatments. People with small cell lung cancer are usually treated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue.
Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.
Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer.
Targeted therapy. Using drugs to block the growth and spread of cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins. You will get tests to see if targeted therapy is right for your cancer type before this treatment is used