Care & Services : Lung Cancer
Adena’s expert pulmonologists are committed to providing lung cancer patients with exceptional, patient-centered care
More people die from lung cancer than prostate, breast, colon and rectal cancers combined. If left undetected until advanced stages, the prognosis for lung cancer is poor. That’s why Adena is dedicated to providing you with early detection, prompt management and advanced treatment for lung cancer.
To request an appointment with one of our specialists, please visit our Request an Appointment page or call us today at 740-542-3030.
What is lung cancer?
There are two types of lung cancer, small cell and non-small cell. In addition, there are several subtypes of non-small cell, with the most common being adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. It is important to know the subtype because it will determine the treatment plan.
Cancer forms when cells start to increase out of control. Sometimes cells do not function normally and divide uncontrollably. Cancer cells do not die when they grow old. They may spread to nearby organs. They also can spread through the blood stream, invade nearby lymph nodes and metastasize. Common lung cancer metastasis sites include the brain, bones and liver.
Some facts about lung cancer
- More than 150,000 people die from lung cancer each year in the United States
- More than 10,000 cases of lung cancers were diagnosed last year in Ohio
- Ohio has the 14th highest mortality rate in the U.S. in terms of lung cancer
- Lung cancer is deadly in both men and women
Risk Factors
Common risk factors of lung cancer include:
- Tobacco Smoke - the most common cause of Lung Cancer
- Exposure to asbestos, radon gas or other cancer-causing chemicals
- Family history of lung cancer
- High levels of air pollution
- High levels of arsenic in drinking water
Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer
- Cough that gets worse or does not go away
- Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
- Continuous chest pain
- Coughing up blood
- Hoarse voice
- Frequent lung infections, such as pneumonia
- Fatigue
- Weight loss with no known cause
Detection and Diagnosis of Lung Cancer
Signs and tests for non-small cell lung cancer
The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history. You will be asked questions about tobacco use, such as, “Do you smoke?” Follow-up questions are likely, depending on how you answer.
The health care provider can sometimes hear fluid around the lungs with a stethoscope, which sometimes suggests lung cancer.
Your health care provider may perform additional tests to diagnose lung cancer or see if it has spread.
Examples of these types of tests include:
- Bone scan
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- CT scan, MRI or x-ray of the chest
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
- Sampling of fluid build-up around the lung (Thoracentesis)
- Sputum test to look for cancer cells (bronchoscopy)
A biopsy also may need to be performed. This requires your health care provider to remove a piece of tissue from your lungs to exam under a microscope. If a biopsy reveals lung cancer, more imaging tests will be done to determine the stage of the cancer. Stage means how big the tumor is and how far it has spread throughout the body.
Signs and tests for small cell lung cancer
The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history. You will be asked questions about tobacco use, such as, “Do you smoke?” Follow-up questions are likely, depending on how you answer.
The health care provider can sometimes hear fluid around the lungs with a stethoscope, which sometimes suggests lung cancer.
Your health care provider may perform additional tests to diagnose lung cancer or see if it has spread. Small cell lung cancer usually has spread to other parts of your body by the time it is diagnosed.
Examples of these tests include:
- Bone scan
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- CT scan, MRI or x-ray of the chest
- Liver function tests
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
- Sampling of fluid build-up around the lung (Thoracentesis)
- Sputum test to look for cancer cells (bronchoscopy)
In most cases, a biopsy will need to be performed. This requires your health care provider to remove a piece of tissue from your lungs to exam under a microscope. If a biopsy reveals lung cancer, more imaging tests will be done to determine the stage of the cancer. Stage means how big the tumor is and how far it has spread throughout the body.
If a biopsy reveals lung cancer, more imaging tests will be done to determine the stage of the cancer. Stage means how big the tumor is and how far it has spread throughout the body.
Small cell lung cancer has two stages- Limited and Extensive. Limited means that the cancer is located only in the chest and radiation therapy can usually treat it. Extensive means that the cancer has spread outside of the chest.
Types of Lung Cancer Treatments
Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer
Depending on the stage of the cancer, there are many different types of treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. If the cancer has not spread beyond nearby lymph nodes, surgery is the often the suggested treatment.
Chemotherapy is sometimes the suggested treatments option or it is used in conjunction with other treatments. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells and stop new cells from growing.
Chemotherapy alone is often used when the cancer has spread outside the lung. However, it may also be given before surgery or radiation to make treatments more effective. Or it is given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer.
Radiation therapy is used with chemotherapy if surgery is not possible. Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by using powerful x-rays or other forms of radiation.
Radiation therapy is used to treat cancer, sometimes along with chemotherapy, if surgery is not possible. Radiation therapy is also used to help relieve symptoms caused by the cancer and to help relieve pain if cancer has spread to the bones.
Treatment of small cell lung cancer
Because small cell lung cancer spreads quickly throughout the body, treatment includes chemotherapy, either taken by mouth or injected into the body. Often times, chemotherapy is combined with other cancer killing drugs.
Chemotherapy and radiation treatment is often given to people with small cell lung cancer because the cancer has spread throughout the body. However, the treatment does not cure the disease. Instead, it only helps relieve symptoms.
Radiation therapy is used with chemotherapy if surgery is not possible. Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by using powerful x-rays or other forms of radiation.
Radiation therapy is used to treat cancer, sometimes along with chemotherapy, if surgery is not possible. Radiation therapy is also used to help relieve symptoms caused by the cancer and to help relieve pain if cancer has spread to the bones.
Since the disease spreads so quickly, surgery helps very few patients. Surgery is done when there is only one tumor that has not spread. If surgery is done, chemotherapy or radiation therapy will still be needed.
Multispecialty Approach
At the Adena Cancer Center, we have weekly conferences with a Multidisciplinary team which includes representatives for Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Pathology, Radiology and Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. In these confidential conferences lung cancer patients’ cases are discussed and a plan of care is recommended. We have a weekly Multidisciplinary Lung Clinic in which new lung cancer patients are seen in expeditious manner.
Meet our team of cancer experts
The Adena Lung Nodule Program
The Adena Lung Nodule Program provides innovative care and the latest technology to those with a high risk for lung cancer. With our state-of-the-art imaging services, including bronchoscopy and CT-guided biopsy using the only 128-slice CT scanner in the region, we’re able to find small lung nodules and detect lung cancer earlier.
Candidates for the Adena Lung Nodule Program include anyone with a high risk for lung cancer, previous history of lung cancer, smoking history, secondhand smoke exposure and asbestos exposure. Candidates also include those with lung nodules or lung spots found during a chest X-ray or CT scan.
To learn more about the Adena Lung Nodule Program call Adena Pulmonology at 740-779-8700.
