Non-small cell lung cancer
Lung cancer is divided into the small cell and non-small cell shape. This classification is based on the characteristics of the cells but also says something about the growth of the tumor and the speed with which this tumor spreads through the body. These characteristics have obvious consequences for the chosen treatment. What causes lung cancer?
The main cause of lung cancer is cigarette smoking. The smoking of cigars and pipe increases the risk of getting lung cancer as some occupations. Due to the increased impact of harmful substances caused by stimuli, changes occur in the genetic material of the cell, which eventually goes off the rails, also the mechanism for a deranged cell to clean is inhibited by the toxic substances in the smoke causing a resultant cancer cell can grow unhindered, instead of to be cleaned up.: the cell does not care of the normal connections to more and grows at the expense of co-pass unobstructed through tissue in the surrounding area. Moreover, these cells tend elsewhere in the body to settle and grow into metastases (= metastasis) of the tumor.
What are the symptoms of lung cancer?
The symptoms of lung cancer can be highly variable and are also dependent on the location and the size of the tumor and of any metastases. In the beginning, when the tumor is still relatively small, there need be no symptoms and the tumor is often found by chance. Afterwards there appear still sometimes more vague general symptoms, such as not feeling fully fit, loss of appetite and sometimes also slimming. Symptoms that are more in the direction of lung cancer modes are: occurrence of coughing, changed cough pattern, so differently coughing than usual as the smokers cough, coughing up blood, increased shortness of breath, frequent respiratory infections, chest pain, and pain elsewhere in the body depending on the possible metastasis.
What tests happen to suspect the existence of lung cancer?
The studies that are done, his aim to establish whether there is real of lung cancer, the type of lung cancer, to determine whether there is metastasis of the tumor and whether or not the person has other restrictions, making certain treatments are not possible.
When these complaints on lung pointing to the doctor, it will have a number of questions to determine the cause of the symptoms to come. Also, the doctor will want to know how the overall health of the patient. In particular, the prevention of heart disease and any existing lung problems should be mapped. The doctor will examine the patient and hereby specifically check whether enlarged lymph nodes and an enlarged liver can be found. Blood tests are not directly help to establish a tumor but can say or in certain organs such as liver metastases and the skeleton.
Important studies are: a lung picture, which shows a possible tumor, a CT scan of the chest and upper abdomen, in which the exact location of the tumor can be determined and the relationship of the tumor to the surrounding tissues. Also possibly enlarged lymph nodes and any metastases to the liver and adrenal glands are seeing this. A bronchoscopy (the airway in the look with a flexible viewer) is also part of the investigation, whereby it is possible to obtain tissue for examination. Depending on the symptoms and the results of previous studies (physical examination and blood tests) are complementary investigations.
The main additional research is a PET scan which one can get a better understanding or elsewhere in the body (the lymph nodes and other organs) are metastases. There is also a large tumor examined whether metastases in the brains with a CT scan or neurological examination (this is the PET scan is not suitable). On the basis of these results is in active nodes on the PET scan in the chest a mediastinoscopy performed (keyhole surgery behind the breastbone to pieces of the lymph nodes to remove) to be sure whether or not metastases in these glands. Furthermore, the doctor heart and lung function checked by a breath test and a heart film screening of heart disease. The condition of these bodies is important to assess what treatments are possible.
