Jahnavi Sarma
... Read More
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : August 1, 2020 12:08 PM IST
Early signs of this disease may be misleading and you may often miss the subtle signs of this kind of cancer.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths globally. It affects both men and women. The most common cause is smoking. But there are other risk factors like heredity, exposure to pollutants and carcinogens, poor lifestyle habits and more. Today, on the occasion of World Lung Cancer Day, we need to know more about this disease. This is one disease that can creep up silently on you. Early signs of this disease may be misleading and you may often miss the subtle signs of this kind of cancer. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with symptoms are wary of going to a hospital for consultation. As Dr Nitesh Rohtagi, Associate Director, Oncology, Max Institute of Cancer Care, Lajpat Nagar, says, "Lung cancer is a rapidly multiplying disease and can be very difficult to manage if it spreads. Hence, it is very important to control its progression irrespective of COVID. Patients should not delay treatment for months as the current pandemic poses less risk to them than the prospect of the cancer getting worse, which can be absolutely fatal."
Here, as we observe World Lung Cancer Day today, let us take a look at the types of lung cancer along with the signs and symptoms of this disease.
Lung cancers, also known as bronchogenic carcinomas in medical parlance because they arise from the bronchi within the lungs, are of two types. These are small-cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Both these types of lung cancers have their own distinctive features.
This accounts for around 20 per cent of lung cancers. It is very aggressive and grows very fast. This type of cancer is very common among smokers and only one per cent of these tumors occur in non-smokers. It can spread to other areas of the body rapidly. Most of the time, you may get a diagnosis only after it has already spread from the lungs.
This is the most common type of lung cancer. It accounts for almost 80 per cent of all lung cancers. This type is further sub-divided into several types according to the type of cells found in the tumor. These are adenocarcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas and large cell carcinomas. Adenocarcinomas occur in the outer, or peripheral, areas of the lungs. Squamous cell carcinomas occur mostly in the central chest area in the bronchi and large cell carcinomas is undifferentiated carcinomas. This is also the least common type of NSCLC.
Symptoms of lung cancer can vary according to where it is located and how widespread the tumor is. You may not be able to immediately identify the symptoms of this disease since there may not be any pain or warning signs till the disease has progressed considerably. Many patients get to know of their condition only when it has already spread to other areas of the body. In fact, almost 25 per cent of patients come to know of this when they go in for a routine checkup. You must be alert to signs like unexplained weight loss, fatigue, depression and mood swings as these may be early signs of lung cancer.
But once the disease progresses, you may experience some symptoms like recurrent cough, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest pain. You may also sometimes cough up blood. This is called hemoptysis. If the cancer has spread to your nerves, you may experience pain in your shoulder that radiates down the outside of the arm. Paralysis of the vocal cords are other symptoms of this disease. If your cancer has spread to the bones, you may suffer excruciating pain. Neurological symptoms like blurred vision, headaches, seizures and weakness or loss of sensation in parts of the body may indicate that the cancer has spread to the brain. This cancer can also lead to elevated levels of calcium in the bloodstream.
