True Facts About Small Cell Lung Cancer

Small cell lung cancer
is also known as oat cell cancer. This is less common than non-small cell lung cancer. The typical characteristic of this type of cancer is that it grows more rapidly and is more prone to spread to other organs of your body. This starts in any one of the larger breathing tubes, grows quickly and attains larger size at the time of diagnosis.

Causes:
Most of the causes for this cancer is the consequence of tobacco smoking. Smoking causes almost 87% of lung cancers and the others may be due to tobacco smoke exposure. Other etiologies of this cancer include occupational hazards such as exposure to cancer-causing agents and personal or family history of lung cancer. Doctors recommend avoiding smoking and exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Symptoms:
Persistent coughing, continuous pain in the thoracic cavity, dyspnea, and blood during coughing are the initial symptoms of this cancer. Once this reaches the advanced stage, symptoms vary depending upon the organ where it metastasized. Once the small cell lung cancer develops metastasis in the brain, possibilities of loss memory and constant headache develop.

Diagnosis:
CT scans, MRIs, and X-rays can easily diagnose this type of cancer. By using these diagnostic methods, the location, size, and shape of the tumor can easily be detected. Sometimes lung biopsy and sputum cytology are more helpful than any other diagnostic procedure.

Treatment:
Limited or extensive are the two forms that usually occur as small cell lung cancer. Usually by the time this cancer is found it has multiplied progressively, and surgery is questionable to cure the cancer. The preferred treatment for this disease is surgery combined with chemotherapy.

Limited stage of small cell lung cancer
Even you are suffering from a limited stage of small cell lung cancer, most physicians suggest chemotherapy. Your physician may prefer surgery followed by chemotherapy if your lung consists of single nodule without any other evidence of cancer elsewhere. The most common combination of drugs used is carboplatin or cisplatin combined with etoposide, continued for six months. Some evidence shows that adding paclitaxel or topotecan with this combination may increase the survival rate.

In the early stages of this cancer, radiation therapy may produce successful results rather than surgery or chemotherapy. Difficulty breathing and trouble swallowing after radiation exposure may occur. Chest radiation therapy is contraindicated in other types of serious health problems or severe lung disease.

Extensive stage of small cell lung cancer
Chemotherapy alone can alleviate symptoms in the case of extensive stage of this cancer. The most preferred drug combination therapy is cisplatin or carboplatin along with etoposide. This combination improves blood cell count. After eight months the small cell lung cancer is immune to this treatment and you may opt for a second type of chemotherapy which is usually only for a short time. The common drugs used as second type of chemotherapy include docetaxel, irinotecan, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, methotrexate, paclitaxel, topotecan, ifofamide, and cyclophosphamide. Once a metastasis forms either in bone or brain, radiation therapy is sometimes used for this type of cancer in lungs.

I for one know there's a ton of lung cancer information scattered all around the web, and I know it can be somewhat depressing to go through much of it. I have compiled all that researched so it might benefit others. I put many months of research into a useful guide. There's no charge of course and I think you'll appreciate the simplicity of it. Its at MyLungCancerGuide.com. While you are there, you'll find this article about Small Cell Lung Cancer and many other very straight forward, helpful articles.

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The Four Stages of (Non Small-Cell) Lung Cancer

Assessing a case of lung cancer via staging is a crucial part of the diagnosis in any case. Applying a 'stage' can be seen as a label for how far the cancer in question has spread from its original location. With most cancers, the later the stage, the worse the chances are of survival and eventual recovery.

Each stage is defined by a list of parameters. These parameters normally concern the size of the cancerous growths, as well as the presence of cancerous cells elsewhere in the body- staging is such a crucial part of the initial diagnosis because it is a deciding factor in choosing the appropriate treatment for a particular patient, which in turn will have a significant impact on the probability of survival.

The stage of a lung cancer diagnosis is assessed using the following guidelines (NB: As per the title, the following four stages are only applicable to non small-cell cancer types):

Stage 1 is itself divided into two classifications, but both of these are used to identify cancers that have not spread to the lymph nodes. "Stage 1A" refers to cancers no larger than 3cm in size, whereas "Stage 1B" concerns cancers larger than 3cm, or cancers that are growing into the main airway of the lung in question.

Again, there are two different types for stage 2. "Stage 2A" concerns cancers 3cm or less in size, but that have spread to the lymph nodes. "Stage 2B" refers to cancers that are either larger than 3cm and have spread to the lymph nodes, or larger than 3cm and have not spread to the lymph nodes, but have instead spread to the surrounding sites such as the chest wall, the diaphragm or the covering of the heart muscle.

Once more there are two types of stage 3 cancer. "Stage 3A" fulfils the following parameters:

The cancer is any size and has spread to the lymph nodes, but has not spread to the other side of the chest. Or the cancer has spread into the tissues surrounding the original site, such as the chest wall, the covering of the lung or the middle of the chest.

In "Stage 3B" the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes on either side of the chest, or higher than the level of the patient's collar bone. One of the other major organs such as the gullet, heart, trachea or an artery.

In stage 4, the cancer which originated in the lung has spread to another major organ such as the brain, heart or liver.

The Royal Brompton Hospital is one of the world's leading heart and lung centres, renowned for its expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. If you're looking for more information about the early symptoms of lung cancer visit us today.

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Prognosis for Small Cell Lung Cancer: Face It Fighting

Prognosis for small cell lung cancer is no good news. Having it means you have aggressive malignant (cancer) cells in the tissues of your lung. Unless stopped, these cancerous cells will spread and destroy your healthy cells. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death affecting hundreds of thousands of men and women. Only 5% of those found afflicted managed to survive within a five year study period. The 95% did not make it despite radiation, chemotherapy or surgery. The other type of lung cancer is the non-small cell. This one is categorized into 3 sub-types, the squamous or epidermoid carcinoma, the adnocarcinoma and the large cell carcinoma or anaplastic. All three have low survival rates.

How far the small cell cancer has spread is determined by means of staging. Your treatment will be planned and implemented based on the stage of the disease. One way of finding out is by the clinical staging system which is based on the results of imaging tests such as the CT scan, MRI, chest x-ray, PET scan, biopsies and physical exam. If you underwent surgery, your doctor can discern based on a pathologic stage. You may have already heard or are aware of stage 1,2,3,4 in describing cancer. This is the TNM staging system which uses roman numerals 0 to IV (4) to describe the growth and spread of lung cancer. Under this system, the higher the number, the more serious is the spread of the cancer.

With the small lung cancer or oat cell, it can either be limited or extensive. Since diagnosis of this disease is usually detected when the cancer has already spread, majority of people have the extensive type. What it means is that the cancerous cells have invaded other parts of the body to include even the brain. Survival outlook or prognosis for small cell lung cancer is bad news for most of the cancer victims. According to the NCI's statistics, survival rate is very low for all stages of people with small cell lung cancer.

There are many stories of people who lost hope, went into depression and self blame after being diagnosed of lung cancer. They blamed their condition to smoking addiction. Aside from tobacco smoking, medical findings conclude other causes such as pollution, exposure to dangerous chemicals like asbestos, uranium, radon, etc. Your lungs are responsible for bringing oxygen into the body as you inhale and take out carbon dioxide as you exhale. When your lungs get affected with lung cancer, you experience shortness of breath, chest pain, etc.

How do you cope up with life as a cancer fighting survivor? There are many ways that you can fight it out if this will be your posture. Your belief, self-confidence, determination to wage a battle against your adversary and strong faith in whatever is the Creator's will is very important. So, first thing you need to do is know the weakness and strength of your enemy. You need to educate yourself about the intricacies of lung cancer, latest hi tech laser or cell treatments and alternative remedies. Try to research as many success stories you can find from all sources in the web through Google search, internet sites of cancer research organizations like American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute.

You have to change your lifestyle. Get plenty of fresh air and sunshine, eat plenty of fruits, nuts and vegetables, and take lots of vitamins and natural nutritional supplements like maqui berry, pomegranates and green barley. Drink plenty of purified water every day, engage in regular moderate simple exercises, yoga and meditation. For your spiritual well being, commune and pray daily to your God.

Do this passionately with the support of your doctors, friends, relatives and loved ones. Despite the negative prognosis for small cell lung cancer, the lifestyle change can improve the quality of your life, and possibly even the victor. Join social networking cancer survivor clubs. There are more than 400,000 lung cancer survivors in the United States. Participate in forums and read blogs. In short, take an active stand and face your battle standing up with your own army of fighters and supporters from all over the world hoping, urging, encouraging, inspiring, motivating, pushing and praying for you to fight it out all the way win or lose! Believe that you will win!

My name is Jet Jones and I research and write about lung cancer info. Please visit my site at http://lungcancer-stages.com to find information about lung cancer stages and treatments that can help you better understand this dreaded disease.

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Lung Cancer Help

A Diagnosis Of Cancer Is Not The End -- Lung Cancer Help Can Be Found Near You.

There are few scenarios in life one will have to deal with that can be more frightening than a cancerous growth on or in your body.  With the terrible condition, however, comes a large network of support amongst fellow victims and survivors meant to provide the optimal physical and mental recovery.  As the most common cause of cancer fatalities, lung cancer help is prevalently administered to patients.  Indeed, because there has been so much research and applied data to understanding how the disease functions, an early diagnosis may be treated with only a relatively small amount of discomfort.

A common type of lung cancer help available to patients may be surprising -- rather than medicine or communication networks, many times assistance is in monetary relief.  As millions of Americans do not have health insurance, the cost of fighting cancer can be devastating; financial aid can provide the funds needed for an operation, a treatment course, or simply the cost of lost employment and bills.  Case managers and social workers can provide support, from government, private, or charity sources that can help a patient fight off their condition.

As a surgical operation to remove a tumor is often the most costly aspect of treatment, it is imperative for any cancer victim (whether it formed in the lungs or otherwise) to register their case with nearby hospitals for pro bono treatment.  Millions of hours each year are volunteered by doctors and nurses so that available recovery options can be started for those without insurance or financial capacity.  These lists fill up extremely quickly however, so they must be taken down immediately upon diagnosis.

For the patients who have little or no capability for medical treatment, there are still means of support and help.  Counseling can be sought for patients looking to address fears, while support groups allow for more direct communication between both patients and survivors.  These meetings are often free and sponsored by hospitals, so that any patient coming in has an option for dealing with their condition.

I for one know there's a ton of lung cancer information scattered all around the web, and I know it can be somewhat depressing to go through much of it. I have compiled all that researched so it might benefit others. I put many months of research into a useful guide. There's no charge of course and I think you'll appreciate the simplicity of it. Its at MyLungCancerGuide.com. While you are there, you'll find this article about Lung Cancer Help and many other very straight forward, helpful articles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paula_Anfuso

Early Detection of Lung Cancer

In the UK alone, it is believed that as many as 1 in every 14 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer at some point during their life. Of those, only 27% will survive for more than one year after their diagnosis. However, of sufferers diagnosed in the first stage of lung cancer (either 1A or 1B), between 43-78% will survive for up to five years after diagnosis. These statistics are a clear indication that, where survival rates are concerned, early diagnosis of lung cancer is a crucial factor. Unfortunately most cases of lung cancer are only discovered in the later stages of the disease, where the one-year survival rates can drop as low as 10%.

With that in mind, it pays to know what the early signs and symptoms of lung cancer are so that you (or your loved ones) can get to a doctor for a proper consultation at the earliest possible point. The following is a list of early warning signs that (although are by no means a sure-fire way of spotting lung cancer) might indicate you need to go for a check-up.

Coughing: Coughing is caused by many common illnesses and infections, and can often go ignored. However, if a cough persists for several weeks or becomes more intense over a period of time, it could be an indication of lung cancer. This is especially true if an individual coughs up large quantities of mucus or mucus that is tinged with blood.

Pain: Particularly in the chest, shoulder and back, and unrelated to the pain caused by coughing.

Noises when breathing: If an individual's breathing sounds laboured or wheezy (the technical term is "stridor") it can indicate a potential medical emergency, even in cases where cancer is not a risk, and as such when it occurs medical help should be sought out. Causes other than lung cancer include obstructions to air flow in the respiratory system due to aspirated food or allergic reactions.

Loss of appetite/ weight loss: Many cancers result in seemingly unexplainable weight loss or a lack of desire to eat. Again, this should be taken very seriously.

Fatigue: The decrease in proper lung function caused by cancer can lead to reduced oxygen levels in the blood, thus reducing oxygen supply to the muscles and organs. This causes muscle wastage (cachexia) which is, in itself, cause for concern. Having a general understanding of these early symptoms will better place you to keep an eye on your health and have any concern looked into without delay.

The Royal Brompton Hospital is one of the world's leading heart and lung centres, renowned for its expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. If you're looking for more information about the Royal Brompton's stop smoking clinic visit us today.

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What Exactly Is Lung Cancer?

Lung cancer, one of the most prevalent and potentially the deadliest cancers in the world, is a disease of the lung tissue. Cancer is a disease that can begin in virtually any organ tissue of the body. Due to internal and external factors, a single cell can mutate into a cell that is abnormal. This cell multiplies, and the growing group of cells can attack normal cells in the tissue, or the cancerous cells can turn into a mass or tumour, causing disease and possible death. The lung is a very sensitive organ whose purpose in the body is to bring air and blood into such close contact as to permit oxygen to be added to the blood while removing carbon dioxide from the blood. When an individual has lung cancer, this normal exchange can be inhibited, and while healthy cells can die, there is also a great potential for the cancer to spread into other organs and tissues of the body.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers globally, as each year over one million people die from the disease. One of the most common causes of lung cancer is cigarette smoking. Studies have shown that the ingredients and nicotine in tobacco can have a carcinogenic effect on the body. Since a cigarette is inhaled, the primary location for the disease is the lung. Increased levels in pollution have become a major risk factor for the disease. Exposure to radiation and asbestos (often used in home building) can also increase the risk of lung cancer developing. Radiation affects cells and can cause mutations that are unhealthy. Any outside factor such as those just listed, in addition to a poor diet and lifestyle, can contribute to the onset of lung cancer.

Although there are numerous symptoms, the most common are coughing up blood and having a generalised difficulty in breathing. Any unexplained loss of weight, in conjunction with the symptoms mentioned, can be an indication of the disease. When and if there is any question or possible concern about the probability of contracting this disease, there should be no hesitation in seeking a medical professional to discuss the completion of exams that may rule out lung cancer as a possibility of sickness.

Treatment for any type of cancer, including lung cancer, is an ongoing and long term commitment and battle. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are often used to "kill" the cancerous cells or tumours, although this treatment can weaken the individual, as these treatments often need to be repeated often. Surgery may be needed to remove the cancer cells.

The Royal Brompton Hospital is one of the world's leading heart and lung centres, renowned for its expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. If you're looking for more information about the Royal Brompton's stop smoking clinic visit us today.

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How to Treat Lung Cancer Caused By Melanoma

Of the many different types of cancer that exists, asbestos caused lung melanoma, also know as bronchial carcinoma and mesothelioma, is now responsible for 1% of all cancer related deaths worldwide. Mesothelioma cancer is directly associated with the exposure to asbestos, of which shows no immediate detrimental signs to the health, and takes many years to develop within the body. Although it is extremely difficult to treat, once diagnosed, Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy and Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery, have all been used with a certain degree of success.

Chemotherapy is commonly used to treat mesothelioma cancer due to its ability to either, attack directly, or to poison the dividing cancer cells anywhere in the body. However, healthy cells are also affected during the treatment, causing side effects that are usually attributed to the patients hair falling out as the hair cells are attacked along with the gastrointestinal, and normal bone marrow cells. Dacarbazine and Temozolomide, are two chemotherapy drugs that are often used with melanoma spread cancers, of which up to 20% of all patients who have been treated with either one of the drugs, have experienced a notable reduction in the size of their tumours.

Immunotherapy is another option, as it works by boosting the ability of the immune system, which in turn allows the immune system to fight off the cancerous cells. The side effects are less severe than those of chemotherapy, however, patients usually suffer from heavy flu-like symptoms which are prolonged by the duration of the treatment. Interferon Alfa and Interleukin-2, are two drugs that are often used to treat melanoma spread cancers, of which when administered to patients in high doses, help to stimulate the immune system.

Stereotactic Body Radiosurgery is also used to treat mesothelioma cancer. The patient is first immobilized in a frame to stop any movement, as computer imaging techniques are then used to identify precisely where the cancerous cells are. These cells are in turn destroyed by being given high dosages of radiation. The treatment is particularly effective against mesothelioma cancer, as it allows high dosages of radiation to be administered precisely, which destroy the cancerous cells while causing minimal damage to the surrounding cells that are healthy. Although, this treatment is only recommended for use on relatively healthy patients.

Surgery is a last result, and is something that is not usually recommended with melanoma spread lung cancers. The prognosis is often poor, as the patients five-year to ten-year survival rate is usually estimated to be under 25%.

Philip Albert Edmonds-Hunt is from the County of Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. He has travelled most of Europe, and he has lived in Spain on more than one occasion. Philip has also travelled much of the USA and now lives and works as a Freelance Writer and English Teacher in Mexico. He is the owner of "The Oxford Quill," a small but reliable business offering a range of services such as, "Professional Article Writing, 'Proofreading, and Website Design." Philip's business also offers an extensive selection of professionally written e-books. If you would like to know how asbestos actually causes lung cancer, check out: https://sites.google.com/site/theoxfordquill/how-does-asbestos-cause-lung-cancer

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