Symptoms

Symptoms of lung cancer vary depending on the type, location, and size of the tumor. Many people with lung cancer have no symptoms until the disease has advanced into late stages. Some lung cancer symptoms are similar to those of other common illnesses. Advise your physician of your medical and social history at each physical examination to assist in a prompt and accurate diagnosis.

When lung cancer does cause symptoms, they can include the following: Coughing (most common) , Shortness of breath (dyspnea), Fatigue, Wheezing, Pain in the chest, shoulder, upper back, or arm, Coughing up blood (hemoptysis) , Repeated pneumonia or bronchitis, Loss of appetite (anorexia) and weight loss, General pain, Hoarseness, Swelling of face or neck, Pleural effusion. Some symptoms occur when the cancer spreads to other parts of the body. This spread is referred to as metastasis. Lung cancer can metastasize to the liver, the brain or the bones.

Categories

The vast majority of Lung Cancer cases fall into one of two different categories:

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer is the most common type of Lung Cancer, making up nearly 80% of all cases. This type of Lung Cancer grows and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is divided into three different subcategories. Squamous cell carcinoma originates in the thin, flat cells that line the passages of the respiratory tract. Adenocarcinoma begins in the cells that form the lining of the lungs. Large cell carcinomas make up a group of cancers that look large and abnormal under a microscope.

Small Cell Lung Cancer makes up nearly 20% of all Lung Cancer cases. It is associated with cancer cells smaller in size than most other cancer cells. These cells may be small, but they can rapidly reproduce to form large tumors. Their size and quick rate of reproduction allows them to spread to the lymph nodes and to other organs of the body. This type of Lung Cancer is almost always caused by smoking or second hand smoke.

About Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer is a disease that begins in the tissue of the lungs. The lungs are sponge-like organs that are part of the respiratory system. During breathing, air enters the mouth or nasal passage and travels down the trachea. The trachea splits into two sets of bronchial tubes that lead to the left and right lung. The bronchi branch off into smaller and smaller tubes that eventually end in small balloon-like sacs known as alveoli. The alveoli are where oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other substances are exchanged between the lungs and the blood stream.