Lung
Cancer
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When a person has lung cancer,
cells in the lungs grow out of
control. More people die from lung
cancer than from any other kind
of cancer. More women die each
year of lung cancer than of breast
cancer.
What causes lung cancer?
- Smoking causes almost all lung
cancer.
- The more you smoke and the
longer you smoke, the more likely
you are to have lung cancer.
Can I lower my chances of getting lung cancer?
- If you smoke, try to quit. If you
don’t smoke, don’t start.
- Stay away from other people who
are smoking. Breathing other
people’s smoke can cause lung
cancer too.
What are the signs of lung cancer?
- A cough that does not go away
- Chest pain
- Weight loss
- Not feeling hungry
- Coughing up bloody mucus
- Trouble breathing
- Hoarseness
- Lots of lung infections, such as pneumonia
How is lung
cancer found?
- Chest X-rays or scans to check for
spots on the lungs.
- Looking at coughed up cells under
a microscope.
- A doctor can use a small, flexible
tube with a camera that is put into
the airways. It checks for parts of
the lung that don’t look normal
and takes samples of tissues.
There are
two types of lung cancer:
- Small
Cell Lung Cancer
- Non-Small
Cell Lung Cancer
Each kind of lung cancer grows and
spreads in different ways and is
treated differently.
Stages of
lung cancer:
- "Stage” means how far the cancer
has spread. Sometimes lung
cancer is found early and it is only
in the lungs. Other times it has
spread to other parts of the body.
- When lung cancer is found, the
doctor will do tests to see how far
the cancer has spread. The tests
will help the doctor decide which
treatments to suggest.
- How well those treatments work
depends on how far the cancer
has spread.
How is lung cancer treated?
- Surgery
--An operation to take out
the cancer
- Chemotherapy
--Drugs that kill
cancer cells
- Radiation
--using High-dose X-rays that
kill cancer cells
You might need two or more of
these treatments.
To
Learn More:
Food
and Drug Administration
www.fda.gov
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Phone: 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
www.cancer.gov
FDA's Office of Women's Health
www.fda.gov/womens 2007
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