What is Lung Cancer?
Lungs cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that affects people worldwide. Among various types of cancer, this is a predominant cause of cancer-related deaths. It is an abnormal or uncontrolled cell growth in the lungs that clusters together, which forms a tumor. That destroys the healthy lung tissues around it.
There can be numerous reasons for developing lung cancer, but a prominent cause is smoking. The people who are heavy smokers are at a high risk of lung cancer. But, it also bases on the duration of smoking and the number of cigarettes one smokes. Those who have quit smoking for many years are at a considerably lower risk of developing this cancer.
Symptoms
There are no prominent or visible early signs of lung cancer in people. Lung cancer symptoms manifest themselves in the advanced stages. Some apparent symptoms are:
● A constant cough
● Spewing out blood in cough
● Shortness of breath
● A prominent pain in the chest
● Hoarse voice
● Loss of appetite and weight loss
● Ache in bones
● A severe headache
Types
As per the observations of lung cancer cells under the microscope, the doctors have determined two lung cancer types. They are:
● Small cell lung cancer– It is found commonly in heavy smokers. It starts in the bronchi and swiftly spreads to other organs of the body.
● Non-small cell lung cancer– It is a combined term for multiple types of lung cancer which includes squamous carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.
Stages
The lung cancer stages are based on the types of cancer, and they are:
1) The stages of SCLS are:
Limited Stage– It is the case when the cancer cell is detected in one of the lungs and may impact the lymph nodes in the same area.
Extensive stage– It is a situation when the cancer is spread to both lungs, to pleura, or to any other organs.
2) Stages of NSCLC are:
No signs stage: In this stage, the tumour is almost undetectable.
Stage 0: At this stage, it is small and still on the surface.
Stage 1: In this stage, cancer reaches deeper into lung tissues, but the lymph nodes have no impact.
Stage 2: Cancer spreads to lymph nodes in the vicinity or to the chest wall.
Stage 3: Cancer spreads further from the lung tissues to the lymph nodes and other organs, including the heart, trachea, esophagus, and more.
Stage 4: The cancer becomes metastasized and breaks out in the body, affecting the liver, brain, bones, etc.
Causes
As per studies, numerous factors contribute to lung cancer causes, which include family history, tobacco consumption, exposure to radon gas or asbestos, workplace exposure, etc. Among them, smoking causes lung cancer to a large population. The impact is more significant on regular smokers and passive smokers. The smoke of cigarettes is filled with cancer-causing substances called carcinogens. It erodes and impacts the normal cells that line the lungs, causing immense damage.
Treatment
The process or method for lung cancer treatment depends mainly on the type of lung cancer and the spread on the organs of the body. The process for small cell and non-small cell lung cancer are different. The prime treatment methods are:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Interventional pulmonology
- Radiation therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Targeted therapy
Testing for Lung Cancer
People feeling symptoms of the problem in the chest may take lung cancer tests at a pathology lab. The lung cancer test cost in India depends on the treatment plan, and price can reach up to 34,00,000 INR for prolonged treatment. In situations involving surgery, the cost will be approximately 4,00,000 –7,00,000 INR.
The tests for diagnosing of lung cancer may include:
- X-ray of the chest
- Chest CT scan
- Biopsy of lungs
- Pharmacogenetic testing
Sputum cytology involving examination of a sample of mucus from the affected lungs
- Pleural fluid testing
Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited
