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Cancer Support
Offers hope, lifts spirits
April 16, 2018
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Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women. In the U.S., one in 16 people will develop the disease, which means more than 234,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
Lung cancer is divided into two types: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell almost always develops in people who are or were heavy smokers. Non-small cell is an umbrella term for several types of lung cancers that function in the same way: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.
Symptoms
In its early stages, lung cancer typically doesn't have any symptoms. As the disease progresses, it may cause:
Causes
Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer, in smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke. Between 80 and 90 percent of lung cancers are caused by smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products such as cigars and pipes. But for some people with lung cancer, the cause is unknown.
Risk Factors
In addition to smoking, other conditions may increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
Tests and Diagnoses
Tests for lung cancer typically begin with imaging screenings such as X-rays and low-dose CT scans. Additional tests may include:
Treatment
A team of Holy Name oncology specialists, including board certified physicians and other experts, meets regularly to create a personal treatment plan for each patient. They consider the patient's overall health, the type and stage of the lung cancer and the patient's needs and preferences. Based on these factors, the oncology team may recommend surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy or a combination of these treatments.
Respiratory gating - this tracks a patient's breathing cycle so that a higher dose of radiation is delivered to target cancer cells while avoiding healthy tissue. Holy Name is one of the few hospitals in the region to provide respiratory gating therapy.
Intensity-modulated radiation - (IMRT) and Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) use a highly complex algorithm to sculpt the radiation beam so it conforms more precisely to the 3-dimensional shape of a tumor.
Stereotactic radiotheraphy - involves the administration of very high doses of precisely targeted radiation to small areas of disease, often enabling the delivery of an entire course of treatment over a relatively short amount of time and substantially improving cure rates while decreasing toxicity.
Chemotherapy - Drugs may be given orally or intravenously to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often used in combination with surgery, before or after the procedure.
Immunotherapy - drugs are used to activate the immune system to fight cancer cells. Often, cancer cells produce proteins that prevent the immune system from working - immunotherapy interferes with that process.
Palliative Care
Palliative care provides relief for the symptoms of lung disease and side effects from treatment. Based on the patient's preference, a palliative care team can meet with the patient during or after treatment.