Diseases
and Medications
Case
Status
Print
this pageLung Cancer
Cancer begins when cells become abnormal and grow out of control. Lung cancer may start in the lining of the bronchi, the tubes into which the trachea or windpipe divides. It may also begin in other lung areas such as the trachea, bronchioles (small branches of the bronchi), or alveoli (lung air sacs).
The two most common types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer, in which the cancer cells are small and round, and non–small cell lung cancer, in which the cancer cells are larger. Sometimes a cancer has features of both types, and is called mixed small cell/large cell cancer. Non–small cell lung cancer accounts for almost 80% of lung cancers. Small cell lung cancer accounts for about 20% of all lung cancers (American Cancer Society, What Is Lung Cancer?).
Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Cancer
Many people with early lung cancer do not have symptoms. A persistent cough, chest pain, hoarseness, weight loss, and bloody or rust–colored sputum (spit or phlegm) are early signs of the disease that occur in only about 15% of cases. Sometimes a simple x–ray helps in the detection of lung cancer. Then a pathologist may take a tissue sample or biopsy to confirm whether lung cancer is present (for types of biopsies, see Biopsy for Lung Cancer).
Lung cancer treatments can improve longevity and the quality of life. Options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and photodynamic therapy. The most experimental treatment is photodynamic therapy (PDT), which uses light to kill cancerous cells. A special chemical is injected into the bloodstream and absorbed by cells. The cancerous cells absorb more of the chemical than normal cells. Laser light activates the chemical, destroying the cancerous cells.
Substances that Lead to Lung Cancer
Tobacco: Cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer mortality in the United States. Nationwide, smoking results in more than 5.6 million years of potential life lost each year. That translates to about 440,000 people per year who die from tobacco use (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tobacco Information and Prevention).
The harm from cigarettes is not limited to smokers. Due to secondhand smoke, an estimated 3,000 nonsmoking Americans die of lung cancer and 300,000 children suffer from lower respiratory tract infections each year, according to the CDC. These are very sad statistics, made even more compelling by the fact that many cigarette companies knew about the results of tobacco use years ago, but hid the truth from the public. For more information about the politics of tobacco, including recent legal cases, see our section about Tobacco and Cigarette Law.
Asbestos: Studies show an increase in lung cancer among workers exposed to asbestos. The substance is now considered a major cause of lung cancer, second only to tobacco. (See Lung Cancers in Workers Exposed to Asbestos for more details about how asbestos lung cancer begins and progresses).
Asbestos exposure combined with smoking greatly multiplies the risk of developing lung cancer. If you inhale both these substances, you run a greater risk of disease than if you were exposed to either substance alone. Because the likelihood of contracting lung cancer is dose–dependent, every exposure to these deadly substances increases your disease potential.
Beryllium: Beryllium is a strong, lightweight element that has been used in nuclear reactors, nuclear weapons, aircraft, spacecraft, ceramics for electronics, and in some sports equipment. Workers who labor in a beryllium–tainted environment run the risk of contracting serious respiratory diseases (see Beryllium Diseases).
The U.S. Agency for Toxic Control and Disease Registry lists long–term beryllium exposure as a risk factor for lung cancer, based on studies by the Department of Health and Human Services and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) labels beryllium a “probable” cause of cancer. The agency has estimated that lifetime exposure to 0.04 µg/m3 beryllium can result in a one in a thousand chance of developing cancer.
If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer and were exposed to beryllium in your workplace, you should be evaluated by a physician to determine if beryllium played a role in causing the cancer. To learn more about beryllium, see our web site, Beryllium Network. Also see Legal Help for Beryllium Victims.