Lung cancer

• Alternative Names

  Cancer - lung

• Causes, incidence, and risk factors

  Lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer for both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined.

  Lung cancer is more common in older adults. It is rare in people under age 45.

  Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer.

  The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer. There is no evidence that smoking low-tar cigarettes lowers the risk.

  However, lung cancer has occurred in people who have never smoked.

  Secondhand smoke (breathing the smoke of others) increases your risk of lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 3,000 non-smoking adults will die each year from lung cancer related to breathing secondhand smoke.

  The following may also increase one's risk of lung cancer:

  • High levels of air pollution
  • High levels of arsenic in drinking water
  • Radon gas
  • Asbestos
  • Family history of lung cancer
  • Radiation therapy to the lungs
  • Exposure to cancer-causing chemicals such as uranium, beryllium, vinyl chloride, nickel chromates, coal products, mustard gas, chloromethyl ethers, gasoline, and diesel exhaust
• Symptoms

  Early lung cancer may not cause any symptoms. Many times, lung cancer is found when an x-ray is done for another reason.

  Symptoms depend on the specific type of cancer you have, but may include:

  • Cough that doesn't go away
  • Coughing up blood
  • Shortness of breath
  • Wheezing
  • Chest pain
  • Loss of appetite
  • Losing weight without trying
  • Fatigue

  Additional symptoms that may also occur with lung cancer:

  • Weakness
  • Swallowing difficulty
  • Nail problems
  • Joint pain
  • Hoarseness or changing voice
  • Swelling of the face
  • Facial paralysis
  • Eyelid drooping
  • Bone pain or tenderness

  These symptoms can also be due to other, less serious conditions, so it is important to talk to your health care provider.

  For more information, see:

  • Small cell lung cancer
  • Non-small cell lung cancer
• Signs and tests

  The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history. You will be asked if you smoke, and if so, how long you have smoked.

  When listening to the chest with a stethoscope, the health care provider can sometimes hear fluid around the lungs, which could (but doesn't always) suggest cancer.

  Tests that may be performed include:

  • Chest x-ray
  • Sputum cytology test to look for cancer cells
  • Blood work
  • CT scan of the chest
  • MRI of the chest
  • Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

  In some cases, the health care provider may need to remove a piece of tissue from your lungs for examination under a microscope. This is called a biopsy. There are several ways to do this:

  • Bronchoscopy combined with biopsy
  • Pleural biopsy
  • CT scan directed needle biopsy
  • Mediastinoscopy with biopsy
  • Open lung biopsy

  For more information, see:

  • Small cell lung cancer
  • Non-small cell lung cancer
• Treatment

  Treatment depends on the specific type of lung cancer. Each type is treated differently. Chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery may be needed.

  See the individual articles on the different types of lung cancer:

  • Non-small cell lung cancer
  • Small cell lung cancer
• Expectations (prognosis)

  How well a patient does depends on the following:

  • Type of lung cancer
  • Whether or not the cancer has spread
  • Your age
  • Your overall health
  • How well you respond to treatment

  The earlier the cancer is found, the better the chances of survival. Lung cancer is a deadly disease. Nearly 60% of people with lung cancer die within a year. However, some people are cured and go on to live many years.

• Complications

  The cancer may spread to other parts of the body (metastasis). Cancer treatment can cause significant side effects.

• Calling your health care provider

  Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of lung cancer (particularly if you smoke).

• Prevention

  If you smoke, quit. It is never too late to stop smoking. You should also avoid breathing in the smoke from other people's cigarettes, cigars, or pipes.

  Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may help prevent some cases of lung cancer.

• References

  Alberg AJ, Ford JG, Samet JM; American College of Chest Physicians. Epidemiology of lung cancer: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (2nd edition). Chest. 2007;132:29S-55S.

  Bach PB, Silvestri GA, Hanger M, Jett JR. Screening for lung cancer: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (2nd edition). Chest. 2007;132:69S-77S.

  National Cancer Institute. Lung Cancer Home Page. Bethesda, MD: U.S. National Institutes of Health. Accessed August 3, 2008

  Jett JR, Schild SE, Keith RL, Kesler KA. Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, stage IIIB: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (2nd edition). Chest. 2007;132:266S-276S.

  Johnson DH, Blot WJ, Carbone DP, et al. Cancer of the lung_ Non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. In: Abeloff MD, Armitage JO, Niederhuber JE, Kastan MB, McKena WG. Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008:chap 76.

Review Date: 9/14/2009

Reviewed By: Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.