A cancer that begins in the lungs and most often occurs in people who smoke. this is a brief study on lung cancer gives a good idea about clinical and pathological aspects of lung cancer please comment thank u

1. LUNG CANCER:
medical information
PREPARED BY | MARTIN SHAJI | PHARM D

2. SUMMARY
• DEFINITION | INTRODUCTION
• EPIDEMIOLOGY
• CAUSES | ETIOLOGY
• SYMPTOMS
• OCCULT, OR HIDDEN:
• STAGES
• DIAGNOSTICS
• LAB TESTS
• TISSUE SAMPLING
• TREATMENT
• SURGERY
• CHEMOTHERAPY
• RADIATION THERAPY
• Images

3. Definition | Introduction
• THE ABNORMAL or (uncontrollable) GROWTH or (Division) OF CELLS
IS CALLED CANCER"
• Lung cancer is a condition that causes cells to divide in the lungs
uncontrollably. This causes the growth of tumors that reduce a
person’s ability to breathe.
• Identifying lung cancer in its earliest stages can be difficult, however,
because the symptoms may be similar to those of a respiratory
infection, or there may be no symptoms at all.

4. Causes | Aetiology
• Cancer causes certain mutations in otherwise healthy cells.
• Typically, the body programs cells to die at a certain stage in their life
cycle to avoid overgrowth. Cancer overrides this instruction, causing cells
to grow and multiply when they should not.
• The overgrowth of cells leads to the development of tumors and the
harmful effects of cancer.
• In lung cancer, this pattern of cell overgrowth occurs in the lungs, which
are vital organs for breathing and gas exchange.
• Doctors typically diagnose two lung cancer types, small cell and non-
small cell, depending on how they appear under a microscope. A person
is more likely to have non-small cell lung cancer than small cell.

5. • While anyone can develop lung cancer, cigarette smoking and
exposure to smoke can increase the likelihood that a person will
experience the condition. Lung cancer can develop if a person has
a history of exposure to inhaled chemicals or other toxins.
• Even if this exposure to chemicals and other toxins was a long
time ago, it could cause changes in lung cells that lead to cancer.

6. SYMPTOMS:
• In people with lung cancer, symptoms do not always occur until the
condition has reached a later stage.
• However, some people may notice symptoms, which they may think are
related to a less serious, acute illness.

7. Examples Of These Symptoms Include:
• appetite loss
• changes to a person’s voice, such as hoarseness frequent chest infections,
such as bronchitis or pneumonia
• lingering cough that may start to get worse shortness of breath
unexplained
• headaches
• weight loss
• wheezing
• A person may also experience more severe symptoms associated with
lung cancer. These include severe chest or bone pain or coughing up
blood.

8. DIAGNOSIS;
• If a doctor identifies a suspicious lesion on a lung cancer screening, or a
person is experiencing symptoms that could indicate lung cancer, several
diagnostic tests are available to confirm the next steps.
EXAMPLES OF THESE INCLUDE:
IMAGING STUDY:
Computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET)
scans might reveal areas of lung tissue with cancer. Bone scans can also
indicate cancerous growths. Doctors may also use these scans to track the
progress of treatment or to ensure cancer has not returned, following a
course of treatment.

10. • If a doctor identifies a suspicious lesion on an imaging study, they may
recommend taking a sample of lung tissue to test for potentially
cancerous cells.
• There are different ways to take a tissue sample, and the method often
depends on the location of the lesion.
• One example is when a doctor performs a bronchoscopy, which involves
inserting a special thin, lighted scope with a camera on the end. This
helps the doctor to see the lesion and then to obtain samples.
• Less accessible lesions in the lungs may require a more invasive surgical
procedure to remove lung tissue, such as thoracoscopy or video-assisted
thoracic surgery.
TISSUE SAMPLING:

11. LAB TESTING:
• A doctor may also order sputum testing or blood testing to check for the
presence of lung cancer.
• A doctor will use this information to determine what type of lung cancer
may be present, and how advanced the disease has become.
• The importance of early diagnosis
• Early diagnosis of lung cancer can be lifesaving. This is because lung
cancer cells can travel to other areas of the body before a doctor detects
them in the lungs. If this spread or metastasis has taken place, it makes
treating the disease much more difficult.
• Sometimes, a doctor will recommend a person have lung cancer
screenings. These are performed using a low-dose CT scanner. Not
everyone is a candidate for this screening, but it can help doctors identify
lung cancer earlier in some individuals.

12. According to the American Lung Association, people who
may be candidates for lung cancer screenings are those who:
• are between 55 and 80 years of age
• are a 30 pack-year history of smoking, meaning they smoked one pack per
day for 30 years or two packs per day for 15 years
• Insurance will often cover this screening if a person meets all these criteria.
However, people should always check with their insurance company before
signing up for lung cancer screening.
• The staging of cancer indicates how far it has spread through the body and
its severity. This classification helps clinicians support and direct treatment
for the best results.
• Each stage determines whether cancer has or has not spread or has spread
to nearby lymph nodes. It may also take into account the number and size of
the tumors.

13. • The lymph nodes are part of the lymphatic system, which connects to
the rest of the body. If cancer reaches these, it can metastasize, or
spread further, becoming more dangerous.
• Staging for lung cancer is extremely complex and extensive with
several sub-groups within each stage.
• Initially, clinicians divide it into small cell and non-small cell
classifications.
• Staging definitions may vary, but doctors typically stage non-small cell
lung cancer using the tumor size and the spread to guide them in the
following way:

14. OCCULT, OR HIDDEN:
• Cancer does not show on imaging scans, but cancerous cells might appear in
the phlegm or mucus and may have reached other parts of the body.
• Stage 0: The doctor finds abnormal cells only in the top layers of cells lining
the airways.
• Stage I: A tumor has developed in the lung, but is under 5 centimeters (cm)
and has not spread to other parts of the body.
• Stage II: The tumor is smaller than 5 cm and might have spread to the lymph
nodes in the area of the lung, or smaller than 7 cm and spread to nearby
tissues but not lymph nodes.
• Stage III: Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes and reached other parts of
the lung and surrounding area.
• Stage IV: Cancer has spread to distant body parts, such as the bones or brain.

15. Symptoms
• In people with lung cancer, symptoms do not always occur until the
condition has reached a later stage.
• Examples of these symptoms include: appetite loss
• changes to a person’s voice, such as hoarseness
• frequent chest infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia
• lingering cough that may start to get worse
• shortness of breath
• headaches
• weight loss
• wheezing person may also severe chest or bone pain or coughing up blood

16. TREATMENT:
• Treatments for lung cancer depend on its location and stage, as well
as the overall health of the individual.
• Surgery and radiation are the most common approaches to treating
lung cancer, but other treatments are available. For example,
doctors often treat small cell lung cancer with chemotherapy.
• Possible treatments include:

17. Surgery:
• A doctor may operate to remove cancerous lung tissue and tissue in
the surrounding areas where cancer may have spread. This
sometimes involves removing a lobe or large segment of the lung in
a procedure called a lobectomy.
• In severe cases, the surgeon may remove a lung in its entirety. A
person can live without a lung, but being in good health prior to
surgery helps to improve outcomes after lung removal.

19. Chemotherapy:
• This treatment uses drugs to shrink or eradicate cancer cells. These
medications target rapidly dividing cells, which makes them ideal for
treating cancer.
• Chemotherapy treatment has a more significant impact on cancers
that have spread to different parts of the body and require a body-
wide attack.
• However, chemotherapy is a powerful intervention and can have side
effects including extreme nausea and weight loss.

20. Radiation therapy:
• This approach uses high-energy rays to kill cancerous cells.
• A doctor may also use radiation to shrink a tumor before
removing it surgically.