Lung cancer or bronchial carcinoma is a life-threatening and serious cancer. Mainly smokers develop this tumor. The first signs of lung cancer are shortness of breath, severe coughing, and chest pain.
What is lung cancer?
Air sacs (alveoli) affected by lung cancer marked in section. Click to enlarge. Lung cancer or bronchial carcinoma is a malignant cancer of the lungs. It is mainly caused by an uncontrolled and degenerate proliferation of cells in the bronchial tubes or airways. These then destroy the healthy tissue in the course of the disease, which ultimately often leads to the death of the affected person. Medically, lung cancer can be divided into two forms: 1. small cell lung cancer and 2. non-small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is mostly localized in the lung and rarely forms metastases. Therefore, the chance of cure is significantly higher than for small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer can in turn be divided into squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell bronchial carcinoma. Although small cell bronchial carcinomas are less common, their effect is far more dangerous to humans. They are very aggressive and grow very quickly. They also form metastases at an early stage. Lung cancer is very common in Germany. Almost every third tumor is a bronchial carcinoma. However, those affected are usually older than 60. Men get lung cancer on average twice as often as women.
Causes
The main causes of lung cancer are smoking and inhalation of carcinogenic substances, vapors and gases at work and in everyday life. Among these, smoking is the largest cause of lung cancer, accounting for about 90%. Hundreds of carcinogenic substances are inhaled during smoking, so that a regular smoker has a 40 times higher chance of developing lung cancer. But passive smoking also poses an enormous risk and should not be underestimated under any circumstances. The second most common causes are carcinogenic substances in the environment, at work and in everyday life. Even if with about 5 percent the share of this group seems to be quite small, these cases occur again and again. In particular, the following substances can lead to lung cancer through inhalation:
- Asbestos, asbestos dust
- Radioactive substances
- Nickel in costume jewelry
- Dirt in cement (chromium 6 compounds)
- Benzene in gasoline
Other causes include: Lung scars as a result of pneumonia or injury, Genetic or hereditary predisposition due to family members suffering from lung cancer.
Typical symptoms and signs
Infographic on the different lung diseases and their characteristics, anatomy and location. Click to enlarge. The tricky thing about lung cancer is that the symptoms do not become apparent until the disease is very advanced. The signs may additionally indicate other respiratory diseases. Typical signs that may indicate lung cancer are cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, (bloody) sputum, difficulty swallowing, fatigue, general malaise and weight loss. If these symptoms occur together, it is imperative to seek medical attention. The cough is usually a permanent condition lasting more than three weeks, which worsens or is chronic. However, the above symptoms are not only typical of lung cancer. They can also be signs of other diseases of the respiratory tract. These include, for example, bronchitis, pneumonia (lung inflammation), bronchial asthma and pulmonary fibrosis. Heavy smokers or people who are otherwise in the risk group for lung cancer should seek medical attention for these symptoms. Furthermore, regular health checks with the family doctor are part of everyone’s duty in order to detect and treat a possible tumor in time. To ease the symptoms in everyday life, sufferers should definitely take it easy and avoid putting additional strain on the airways through physical exertion or freezing cold.
Disease progression
The disease course of lung cancer can be represented in three stages. First comes inhalation or contact with carcinogenic substances, such as nicotine, asbestos or tar. This is followed by damage to the lung cells and airways. Here, the genetic material of the cells in particular is altered or damaged.After a dormant phase usually lasting several years (latency period of up to 30 years), the genetically modified cells in the lungs or airways begin to grow and multiply rapidly. This then leads to the typical tumors or growths of lung cancer. So far, the prognosis of dying from lung cancer is exceedingly high. Nevertheless, a cure is possible if the lung cancer is detected in time. Furthermore, type of tumor and age and gender also play a significant role. Women usually have a greater chance of recovery. Nevertheless, the average chances of survival are relatively low at around 30 percent. Untreated lung cancer usually leads to death within 6 months.
Complications
In most cases, lung cancer leads to the death of the patient or to a significantly reduced life expectancy. The quality of life is also significantly reduced by this disease, so that those affected suffer from a severe cough and further also from shortness of breath. Furthermore, the shortness of breath not infrequently leads to reduced resilience and fatigue of the patient. The affected persons feel depressed and also suffer from chest pains. Furthermore, lung cancer also leads to weight loss and loss of appetite. It is also not uncommon for patients to suffer from fever and a coughing phlegm. Everyday life is also restricted, as physically strenuous activities can usually no longer be performed. Self-healing does not occur, and lung cancer usually leads to the death of the patient after about a year if it is not treated. The earlier the cancer is diagnosed, the higher the patient’s chances of survival. During treatment, part of the lung is removed. In this process, chemotherapy can cause various side effects. In the worst case, the metastases spread to other parts of the body and can lead to cancer there as well. This significantly reduces the life expectancy of the affected person.
When should you go to the doctor?
Lung cancer makes a visit to the doctor necessary in any case. This applies to the suspicion of this disease as well as to complications or complaints after the diagnosis has already been made. Blood in sputum is a classic sign of lung cancer, as is a persistent irritating cough, so such complaints should be clarified by a doctor. Blood in the cough can also indicate other diseases besides lung cancer, such as TB, but in many cases it can also indicate a burst vein, which again would be harmless. If lung cancer has already been diagnosed, the visit to the doctor is not necessarily limited to treatment appointments. The doctor should also be consulted if there are sudden or massive symptoms, such as shortness of breath or chest pain when breathing. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can have side effects that also require a doctor’s visit. Massive nausea, fatigue or bone pain warrant a trip to the doctor. Psychological impairments are also a reason to see the family doctor or a psychooncologist who knows means to alleviate the psychological stress that the diagnosis of lung cancer entails. After treatment with lung cancer, it is essential to keep to the prescribed check-up intervals. However, a lung cancer patient can also visit the doctor outside of these appointments if he or she experiences new symptoms. Often, diagnostics between the intervals can then help reassure them.
Treatment and therapy
Therapy for lung cancer is not only advisable but vital, otherwise the chances of survival are zero. Therefore, it is important to detect a lung cancer as early as possible and start treatment. Depending on the stage of the disease, treatment may include removal of the cancerous tissue by surgery and/or chemotherapy as well as radiation therapy. If non-small cell bronchial carcinoma is successfully removed during surgery, the chances of recovery are good. However, if metastases (daughter tumors) have already spread, a cure can hardly be assumed. The goal of radiation therapy is to destroy metastases or prevent the formation of new ones.
Aftercare
After the actual cancer treatment, patients need ongoing care. This includes regular medical examinations and the pursuit of further therapies. Most importantly, it requires lifestyle changes. Smokers should definitely refrain from further nicotine consumption and refrain from doing so altogether.Regular exercise and a balanced diet also promote recovery. In order to regain the quality of life to which they are accustomed, those affected are sometimes dependent on the support of the responsible doctors as well as acquaintances and friends. This usually also helps them to come to terms with the disease. The general practitioner can consult cancer counseling centers, psychooncologists and socio-legal contacts. Attending a self-help group is also an important part of aftercare. The aftercare plan is drawn up together with the doctor and is based on the symptoms, the general course of the disease and the prognosis. In the first phase, when patients are still coping with the consequences of the disease and treatment, aftercare is particularly important. It is crucial to support patients until remission has been achieved. Provided treatment has been successful, the risk of relapse decreases annually. If the disease is severe, permanent follow-up and aftercare merge.
Outlook and prognosis
The outlook for lung cancer is poor. In Germany, the disease is one of the most common tumor occurrences. When you take a look at mortality rates, the picture is grim. A good half of those affected are no longer alive after five years. In practice, it proves problematic that a diagnosis is regularly only made at an advanced stage. This is due to the fact that symptoms only appear then and are non-specific. So far, there is no early detection test. Statistically, lung cancer was long considered a male disease. This was mainly due to their cigarette consumption. In the meantime, however, women are also increasingly consuming nicotine, which is why the numbers of cases are converging. However, there are also criteria that suggest a positive course. For example, women have better chances of being cured. A low age also has a positive effect. Furthermore, a favorable location and tumor type increase life expectancy. Non-small cell cancer is much easier to treat. After being diagnosed with lung cancer, patients must expect a greatly reduced life expectancy. If a cure is successful, there is a high risk of relapse. This is many times higher for smokers.
What you can do yourself
The options for self-help are severely limited with this cancer. At the same time, those affected can alleviate the symptoms to a limited extent, but not completely combat them. Since lung cancer weakens the immune system and the body in general, those affected should not engage in sports or strenuous activities. The patient must take care of his body. If some things of everyday life are no longer possible without further ado, the help of friends, acquaintances or nursing staff is necessary. In the case of lung cancer, the patient should completely refrain from smoking and from consuming alcohol. The typical loss of appetite associated with cancer should also be counteracted. Specially prepared food for cancer patients is available in pharmacies. In some cases, it is also necessary to take nutritional supplements to prevent deficiency symptoms. Furthermore, the disease can also lead to psychological upsets. In this case, contact with other affected persons is advisable in order to discuss the further course of the disease. Children should also always be informed about the disease and its consequences. In the case of psychological complaints, conversations with the closest friends or with the family are also very helpful and can prevent depression. In general, a warm and cordial care of the affected person by familiar people has a very positive effect.