There are many types of cancer treatment and which type is appropriate for you totally depends upon the type of cancer and its advancement. Best cancer doctors in India treat many types of cancer through a combination of treatments counting chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy or targeted therapy.
Lung cancer treatment by best cancer doctors in India
Same as all other cancer types lung cancer occurs because of abnormal growth of cell production in the body. This uncontrolled division, as well as a proliferation of cells, leads to the formation of a mass termed as a tumor. Since lung cancer spreads or metastasizes very soon after it forms Lung cancer is also considered as life-threatening cancer and one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Generally, Lung cancers can arise in any part of the lung, but in 90 to 95 percent cases having cancers of the lung arise from the epithelial cells, the cells lining the larger and smaller airways. Due to this, sometimes lung cancer is also known as bronchogenic cancers or bronchogenic carcinomas.
How common is lung cancer?
Lung cancer is prevalent in both genders, and almost 70 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer are more than 65 years old. It occurs about 3 percent in people less than 45 years of age. In comparison to many causes of lung cancer, the most common cause is smoking as well as tobacco. As per statistics, about 90 percent of lung cancers arising because of tobacco use. Also, people who are non-smokers but share living or working quarters with smokers are also more prone to it.
Symptoms of lung cancer
Lung cancer is cancer that starts in the lungs, and the most common type is non-small cell lung cancer. Symptoms of lung cancer are listed below :
- coughing with phlegm or blood
- worsening cough
- hoarseness
- shortness of breath
- chest pain
- Weakness
- fatigue
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
There are many more symptoms of lung cancer as cancer on the top area of the lung affects facial nerves, and people experience one eyelid drooping, small pupil or else lack of perspiration. This can even cause shoulder pain. These tumors can also put pressure on large veins that carry blood amid arms, head and heart and due to which swelling on neck, upper chest, arms and face can occur.
Stages of lung cancer
Best cancer doctor in India will determine the appropriate treatment plan for you after determining the stage of cancer. Cancer stages help doctors to know how far it has spread and in which way it can be treated. Two types of lung cancer are there counting small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
Non-small lung cancer stages
- Stage 1 – stage 1 of lung cancer does not spread outside the lung.
- Stage 2– stage 2 of lung cancer can be found in the lung, along with nearly lymph nodes.
- Stage 3– stage 3 Lung cancer is found in lung, lymph nodes that are in the middle of the chest.
- Stage 4 – stage 4 of lung cancer spread to both lungs. It spreads into the area around the lungs, or else to distant organs.
Small cell lung cancer stages
It has two main stages
- Limited stage – in this stage lung cancer is found in only one lung or nearby lymph nodes on the same side of the chest.
- Extensive stage – extensive stage of lung cancer has spread in many parts counting throughout one lung, to opposite lung, to lymph nodes on the opposite side, to fluid around the lung, to bone marrow and many distant organs.
The link between Lung cancer and smoking
Smoking is one of the primary causes of lung cancer as risk is directly related to the number of years a person smoked. However, non-smokers can also be at risk for lung cancer. The best cancer doctor in India advises not to smoke as the more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the bigger your chance of developing lung cancer. About 80 percent of lung cancer deaths are because of smoking, and this number is much higher, especially for small cell lung cancer. However deciding to quit smoking lowers the risk of lung cancer, but will take some time before your risk decreases. In case people have smoked for more than a short period of time, their risk will never reach that of a never smoker. But quitting smoking is the best decision of your life, and it is still very worth the effort to quit.