Lung cancer can be diagnosed through various tests. A bronchoscopy uses a thin, lighted camera that slides into the lungs to look for tumors. A biopsy of a suspicious mass may be done through a needle that is inserted into the chest through the mouth or an incision through the skin. If the lesion is large, surgery may be needed to remove the cancerous tissue. Depending on the stage of cancer, all of these tests can lead to a definitive diagnosis.
Surgical resection is the primary treatment for stage IIIA disease that does not involve the carina or visceral pleura. A pneumonectomy, on the other hand, removes the entire lung. The recovery time from thoracic surgery varies from two to three weeks depending on the extent of the surgery. In patients who undergo limited resection (also known as wedge or segmental resection), recovery from surgery may take as little as three weeks. However, patients who undergo this surgery should have a thorough pre-operative assessment.
The risk of developing lung cancer is heightened by certain risk factors. While the exact cause of cancer may be unknown, these factors increase the likelihood of developing the disease. Certain behaviors, such as smoking, are associated with increased risk. Fortunately, there are treatments available to drain this fluid and reduce the risk of pleural effusion. Although lung cancer usually spreads to other parts of the body, there are some methods to detect it in its early stages.
As with other forms of lung cancer, this disease is typically categorized by its size and location. It can start in a single lung or spread throughout the chest. Stage 0 refers to a localized tumor with no distant spread. If the cancer is not confined to a single lung, it may be a squamous cell carcinoma. While stage 1 is the most aggressive form, it typically spreads rapidly to other areas of the body and requires radiation.
Lung cancer is one of the most difficult types of cancer to treat, due to its advanced stage. The survival rate of patients with lung cancer is highly dependent on the stage and cell type of the disease. A patient may be cured if the disease is localized. Most patients are diagnosed in late stages, which make predicting the outcome of treatment extremely difficult. Fortunately, lung cancer survival rates have improved substantially over the past decade. The majority of patients survive five years or more. The Knight Cancer Institute is actively researching new treatments for lung cancer. You may qualify for one of the many clinical trials.
The treatment for lung cancer depends on the stage of the disease. This is determined by a process called TNM staging. The stage of the disease refers to the size of the primary tumour, whether it has spread to nearby organs, and how the cancer has spread. The most effective lung cancer treatment depends on the stage and how much the cancer has spread. It may require surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy to treat the disease. But if the cancer has spread beyond the lungs, it may not respond to these treatments.
