Mary Bird Perkins offers the most advanced radiation therapy available in the world with the medical and technical experts to use it successfully. We treat approximately 250 lung cancer patients every year with radiation therapy.
Improvements in surgical techniques and combined therapies have helped increase the survival rate for those battling lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States.* The chance of survival depends on the stage of the cancer, with the statistics being greatly improved for those diagnosed when the cancer is still localized (in the lungs).
There are two main types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Both non-small and small cell lung cancers are made up of different kinds of cancerous cells in the tissue of the lung, which grow and spread in different ways. They are named for the kinds of cells found in the cancer. The most common types of non-small cell lung cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. The three types of small cell lung cancer are small cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer), mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma and combined small cell carcinoma.
Sometimes lung cancer is found during a routine x-ray, without exhibiting any symptoms. Potential symptoms may include a persistent cough, trouble breathing or wheezing, chest discomfort, hoarseness, unexplained weight loss and fatigue. Smoking cigarettes or cigars is the most common cause of lung cancer. Other risk factors include exposure to second-hand smoke, radiation treatment to the breast or chest, exposure to asbestos, radon, chromium, arsenic, soot or tar and living in heavily air polluted areas.
A patient’s treatment options depend on the stage of the cancer, whether it has spread outside the chest cavity and the blood level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a substance found in the blood that may indicate the development of cancerous cells. Many patients with either type of lung cancer participate in clinical trials, working with others to develop new ways to treat lung cancer.
For a personalized cancer risk assessment, visit MyCancerRisk.com.
Related Links for Non-small cell lung cancer:
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute
Related Links for Small cell lung cancer:
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute
* American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2006, Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2006.