Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention

What Is Lung Cancer?

Lung cancer occurs when cells in the lung grow out of control and form a mass. Nearly 90% of lung cancers start in the lining of air passages or air sacs. Air passages are tubes called bronchi (main tubes) and bronchioles (smaller tubes). Air sacs (alveoli) are at the ends of the tubes.

Lung cancer is usually divided into two types: non–small cell and small cell.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers among both men and women. Every year, more than 170,000 new cases are diagnosed in the United States.

Lung Cancer Screening

A lung cancer screening is a test that checks for lung cancer. Lung cancer screening is done to look for lung cancer in its very early stages, before it spreads and becomes harder to treat and before symptoms appear. Finding cancer early improves the chances of successful treatment. It may save your life.

Should I be screened for lung cancer?

You should be screened for lung cancer if all of these apply:

To find your pack-year history, multiply how many packages of cigarettes you smoked each day by the number of years you smoked. For example, if you smoked two packs of cigarettes each day for 15 years, your pack-year history is 30. If you are not sure what your pack-year smoking history is, ask your health care provider.

Screening may also be recommended if you are at high risk for the disease. You may be at high risk if:

How often should I be screened for lung cancer?

If you are at risk for lung cancer, it is recommended that you are screened once a year. The recommended screening test is a low-dose CT scan.

How can I lower my risk of lung cancer?

To lower your risk of developing lung cancer:

Where to find more information

Ask your health care provider about the risks and benefits of screening. More information and resources are available from these organizations:

Contact a health care provider if:

• You start to show symptoms of lung cancer, including:

What Causes Lung Cancer?

Almost 90% of lung cancers occur among smokers or former smokers. Therefore use of tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, pipes) is the main cause.

Other causes include exposure to asbestos (especially for smokers), radon and radiation, and secondhand smoke (other people’s smoke).

What Are the Symptoms of Lung Cancer?

Some people may have no symptoms until the cancer is advanced.

In others, symptoms include a cough that doesn’t go away, coughing up bloody phlegm, shortness of breath, wheezing, continuing problems with pneumonia, tiredness, difficulty swallowing, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

A tumor may press on a large blood vessel, which causes swelling of the face and neck (called superior vena cava syndrome).

A tumor pressing on nerves near the lung can lead to pain in the shoulder, arm, and hand (called Pancoast’s tumor).

Some types of lung cancer can produce certain chemicals (hormones) that lead to abnormal blood test results, such as a high calcium level; weakness; and other problems (e.g., Lambert-Eaton syndrome, clubbing of fingers or toes, and syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone [SIADH]).

How Is Lung Cancer Diagnosed?

Early diagnosis can be hard because people may have no symptoms until the cancer is advanced. In these people, a tumor may be found on a routine chest x-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan. Many insurers are now approving CT scan of lungs in people with smoking history to detect lung cancer at an early stage.

The only sure way to diagnose lung cancer is by taking and studying a sample of lung tissue (biopsy) or fluid from the lungs that contains cancer cells.

The doctor gets these samples in different ways, depending on the location of the problem area. One technique is bronchoscopy, or examination with a lighted scope (a thin, flexible tube) that passes through the mouth into the air passages. If this method doesn’t work, needle aspiration can be done. In this procedure, a needle is passed through the chest into the tumor to get the cells.

Sometimes, the space surrounding the lungs has fluid in it. This fluid can be removed with a needle (thoracentesis) to check for cancer cells.

If none of these techniques works, surgery (thoracotomy) can be done to open the chest and get tissue samples directly.

DOs and DON’Ts in Preventing Lung Cancer:

• DOunderstand the effects of smoking and its major role in causing lung cancer.
• DOeat a healthy diet, including fruits and vegetables.
• DOavoid exposure to hazards such as radon and air pollution.
• DON’Tsmoke—the most important lifestyle change.
• DON’Tignore signs of lung cancer such as persistent cough or bloody phlegm. Early diagnosis is important.

Summary

• Lung cancer screening may find lung cancer before symptoms appear. Finding cancer early improves the chances of successful treatment. It may save your life.
• If you are at risk for lung cancer, it is recommended that you are screened once a year. The recommended screening test is a low-dose CT scan.
• You can make lifestyle changes to lower your risk of lung cancer.
• Ask your health care provider about the risks and benefits of screening.

Seek Additional Information

Contact the following source:

• American Lung Association
  Tel: (212) 315-8700
  Website:http://www.lungusa.org  
• American Cancer Society
  Tel: (800) 227-2345
  Website:http://www.cancer.org