Complications of lung cancer

Facts about lung cancer

One of the leading causes of deaths related or provoked by cancer in the United States is lung cancer. It is definitely much more fatal than the any other type of cancer, and statistical data of the morbidity proves the same. Those who are at greatest risk of developing lung cancer are people who smoke, and it is a very well-known fact. Unfortunately, people who do not smoke, but are exposed to the secondhand smoke, are also at high risk of developing this serious condition, because they also inhale carcinogens from the cigarette smoke. On the other side, there are cases in which the cause of lung cancer cannot be identified, and in which the victims are not a part of either of these risk groups.

The treatment of lung cancer

The treatment will depend on several factors, but it usually includes the combination of a few methods. Available options are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted drug therapy.

The main purpose of surgery is to remove the lung cancer, and there are several procedures that can be used in that purpose. However, the risks of infections and bleeding are higher when it comes to the lung cancer surgery.

Chemotherapy is based on the medications that should destroy cancer cells, and they may be taken orally or intravenously.

Radiation therapy destroys cancer cells with the help of high powered energy beams. As for the targeted drug therapy, it is a newer method of treatment, and the drugs that are used are either bevacizumab or erlotinib. The first drug is related with serious complications such as blood clots, high blood pressure and bleeding.

New researches are being done constantly, there are many clinical trials, and the scientists are doing their best to find more effective methods of treatment.

Possible complications of lung cancer

Lung cancer can provoke numerous consequences and it is not always possible to predict and prevent them. What makes the whole process of treatment even harder is the fact that the symptoms occur when the cancer is in developed stage. If the cancer growth blocks the major airways, the patient may experience shortness of breath, but it may also cause the accumulation of fluid around the lungs and bleeding in the airway, so coughing up the blood is also possible. Lung cancer is very likely to spread to other parts of the body when in advanced stage, which may cause pain. Such spreading of the cancer to other parts of the body is called metastasis. Death is the most serious consequence of this type of cancer, and in order to reduce the risk to minimum, it is important to diagnose it as early as possible.