Lung Cancer, What Symptoms and How the Diagnosis
Lung cancer is a condition in which cells grow uncontrollably in the lungs (an organ that serves to spread the oxygen into the blood when inhale exhale and dispose of the carbon dioxide when heaved). Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer occurring.
However, lung cancer is one of the most types of cancer can be prevented. This condition mostly suffered by active and passive smokers. In the early stages, no signs or symptoms of lung cancer are obvious. But then the symptoms such as coughing continued up to experience coughing blood, always feel out of breath, fatigue without reason, and weight loss will appear.
Types of Lung Cancer
There are two types of primary lung cancer based on the type of the cell, i.e., small-cell lung cancer / SCLC and non-small-cell lung cancer / NSCLC. Lung cancer non-small-cell a chance four times more frequent in comparison with the small-cell lung cancer.
Small-cell Lung cancer (SCLC) usually only afflicts the heavy smoker and its spread faster compared to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
People who are at risk of Lung Cancer
Smoke can be said to be the major cause of lung cancer. People who are most at risk of lung cancer are smokers. About 85 percent of lung cancer associated with the habit of smoking. Even so, it's not that every smoker will be affected by lung cancer. In addition, people who do not smoke are also likely to have stricken with lung cancer, although the lower amount.
In addition, some of the causes of lung cancer are another inhale arsenic, radiation, and air pollution. Lung cancer is more common in people who are already aged
Lung Cancer Symptoms
In the early stages, lung cancer does not cause any symptoms. The symptoms will only arise when cancer development has reached a certain stage. The following are the main symptoms will be experienced lung cancer sufferers, of whom:
- A continuous cough and grew worse, until finally experienced the coughing blood.
- Experiencing shortness of breath and pain in the chest.
- Experiencing fatigue without reason.
- Swelling of the face or neck.
- A headache.
- Pain in the bones could be on the shoulder, arm or hand.
- Body weight decreased.
- Loss of appetite.
- The voice becomes hoarse.
- Difficulty swallowing or pain when swallowing something.
- Changes in the shape of fingers, i.e. the fingertips becomes convex.
Meet the doctor immediately or go to the clinic to make sure the diagnosis of symptoms experienced.
The Diagnosis of Lung Cancer
For those of you who are experiencing the symptoms of lung cancer such as coughing sustainable, coughing blood, shortness of breath, and pain in the chest should immediately see a doctor.
Early detection of cancer can increase the success of the treatment process. Here are some tests that can be done to make sure the cancer diagnosis.
- Examination of the sputum. A phlegm when we a cough spends can be checked in the laboratory with microscopes. Sometimes this examination can be used to see if there are cancer cells in the lungs.
- Imaging tests. The first diagnosis of lung cancer typically uses x-rays. X-ray imaging of the lungs can show a tumor there is. If the x-ray of suspected there were lung cancer, further tests need to be done to verify it.
- A CT Scan can show abnormal small that can not be seen with the x-ray. By utilizing a CT scan, clearer imaging and detail can be obtained.
- PET-CT scans can show the location of active cancer cells. Imaging is performed if inspection results with CT Scan showed there were cancer cells at the early stage.
- Biopsy or sampling of lung tissue. This procedure is done after a test showed that there are imaging and cancer cells in the chest. The doctor will take a sample of cells from the inside of the lungs.
Staging of lung cancer
- Stage 1. Cancer still is inside the lungs and has not spread to lymph nodes in the vicinity. The magnitude of the tumor at this stage is still under 5 cm.
- Stage 2. Tumor size is more than 5 cm. But regardless of its size, the tumor can be said to be entering stage 2 If cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, muscles and surrounding tissue, and respiratory (bronchial), cancer causes lungs collapsing (constrict), there is more than one small tumor in one lung.
- Stage 3. At this stage, there are cancer cells that have spread to lymph nodes that are far away from the lungs or cancer invaded other important parts of the body such as the esophagus, trachea, or major blood vessels in the heart.
- Stage 4. The cancer had already spread to both lungs or other organs such as the brain and heart. In addition, it can be categorized in stages 4 when cancer caused fluid buildup in the lungs.