Lung cancer
Lung is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. Around 44,500 people are diagnosed with the condition every year in the UK.
There are 2 types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer (occurs exclusively in heavy smokers) and non-small cell lung cancer (most common one as it’s an umbrella for different types of lung cancer that behave in a similar way)
What are the symptoms?
There are usually no signs in the early stages of lung cancer, but many patients eventually develop symptoms including:
- A persistent cough
- Coughing up blood
- Persistent breathlessness
- Unexplained tiredness and weight loss
- An ache or pain when breathing or coughing
Who’s at risk?
- People smoking
- Exposure to secondhand smoke
- Exposure to radon gas
- Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens
- A family history of lung cancer
What are the treatments?
The treatment will depend of the type of cancer, how far it’s spread and how good your general health
Surgery might be the first type of treatment considered if the cancer is diagnosed early and the cancerous cells are confined in a small area.
If surgery is not possible due to your general health, radiotherapy may be recommended instead.
However, if the cancer has spread too far for surgery or radiotherapy to be effective, chemotherapy is usually used.
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