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Lung Cancer

Overview

Lung cancer occurs when normal cells in the lungs turn abnormal and grow out of control. There are different types of lung cancers. Some types grow much faster than others and spread faster in the body. It is important to note that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

People who smoke are at the greatest risk of developing lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer increases with the time and number of cigarettes smoked. Quitting smoking, even after smoking for many years, significantly lowers the chances of developing lung cancer. Lung cancer can also occur in people who have never smoked, and can be caused due to genetic predisposition, exposure to biomass fuel, air pollution or heavy metals.

Common symptoms of lung cancer include:

  • New onset or worsening cough
  • Breathlessness, or wheezing
  • Spitting or coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
  • Chest pain
  • Hoarseness of voice
  • Loss of weight
  • Loss of appetite
  • Headache and swelling of the face, arms or neck
  • Pain in the arm, shoulder or neck
  • Droopy eyelids or blurred vision
  • Weakness of the hand muscles

If a doctor suspects lung cancer they can ask for the following tests:

  • Blood tests
  • CT scan of the chest and neck
  • PET CT to look for lesions outside the lungs and to understand the activity level of the lesions in the lungs
  • Biopsy of the suspected lesion either through bronchoscopy, EBUS (ultrasound or CT guided) depending on the location of the lesion

  • Surgery: Lung cancer can sometimes be treated with surgery to remove the tumour. However, it can be performed only when detected early and is limited to one lobe or segment of the lung.
  • Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is the treatment that is given in later stages and also sometimes before the surgery to reduce the size of the lesion to make it more feasible to remove.
  • Targeted therapy: Some medicines work only for cancers that have certain characteristics. Your doctor might test your tumour to verify if your lung cancer would respond to these medicines.
  • Immunotherapy: This is the term doctors use for medicines that work with the body's infection-fighting system (the "immune system") to stop cancer growth. These are newer therapies that target the particular gene or mutation that stops the growth of cancerous cells.
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