The leading place among all oncological diseases is lung cancer. Scientists around the world are trying to find a universal cure for this ailment. However, the statistics are disappointing. In 85% of cases, a fatal outcome is observed.
Medical certificate
Lung cancer is the most common cancer option. Approximately 25% of the total number of neoplasms account for this species. The disease occurs in men 10 times more often than in the fair sex. With age, the risk of getting sick increases significantly.
According to the histological classification, small cell and non-small cell lung cancer are distinguished. The need for such a separation is due to the choice of treatment tactics. In the first case, the pathology is characterized by the appearance of small-sized cells in the organ without signs of differentiation. The disease is usually detected in smokers or people working in hazardous industries. To a greater extent, persons older than 50-60 years are exposed to it. The neoplasm is characterized by rapid growth and the appearance of metastases. The forecast is disappointing. After confirming the diagnosis, the patient dies within a few months.
Non-small cell cancer is diagnosed more often. The disease occurs mainly in elderly men. Among its histological characteristics, one can note the presence of keratinization, the formation of horn pearls. It is on this type of disease that we dwell in more detail.
What is non-small cell lung cancer?
This is a malignant neoplasm that develops from the epithelial tissues of the lung. It appears due to violations of the structure or functioning of the DNA of healthy cells. The reason may be changes both in the body itself and the influence of environmental factors. As a result, their uncontrolled and erratic division is observed.
Pathology classification
In medical practice, it is customary to distinguish several varieties of non-small cell lung cancer, each of which is characterized by individual clinical features.
- Large cell lung carcinoma. It accounts for about 15% of all pulmonary oncologies. Under a microscope, it is defined as a neoplasm with rounded cellular structures. It is characterized by rapid growth and the appearance of metastases.
- Adenocarcinoma. It occurs in 40% of pulmonary cancer patients. It develops mainly against the background of long-term tobacco smoking. Adenocarcinoma occurs in glandular tissues and affects the external part of the lung.
- Squamous cell carcinoma. It is formed from the cellular elements lining the inner side of the respiratory tract.
Unfortunately, doctors can not always timely determine the type of pathology. In this case, the diagnosis sounds like "undifferentiated cancer." However, this factor does not affect the quality of treatment.
Main reasons
The main cause of cancer is smoking. Tobacco smoke consists of many dangerous carcinogenic compounds that trigger cancer processes in the lung tissue. The likelihood of an ailment increases significantly in the presence of an impressive length of nicotine addiction, if a person smokes more than one pack of cigarettes per day.
Much less often, the cause of the disease is work in harmful chemical or metallurgical industries. A polluted atmosphere also plays an important role in the development of cancer.
Clinical picture
At the initial stage, non-small cell lung cancer is difficult to detect. However, when certain symptoms appear, you must immediately contact an oncologist and undergo an appropriate examination.
- Cough. At first it is dry and short, it bothers mainly at night. As the disease progresses, its intensity increases, mucus with impurities of pus may appear.
- Dyspnea. It occurs due to a tumor clogging the lumen of the bronchi. The size of the neoplasm directly affects the intensity of shortness of breath. Usually it manifests itself after intense physical exertion.
- Temperature rise. Such a symptom indicates the beginning of the decay of the tumor. Sometimes it is perceived as a sign of pneumonia or flu.
- Hemoptysis. The presence of blood streaks in sputum indicates that the tumor is at the stage of decomposition. This symptom is observed in 50% of patients.
If the neoplasm reaches an impressive size, the clinical picture described above is supplemented by pain in the sternum, general weakness, increased fatigue, and a decrease in appetite.
What is the disease dangerous?
The main danger of non-small cell cancer is an almost asymptomatic course in the first three stages of development. In the vast majority of cases (approximately 70%), the pathology is diagnosed in stages 3-4. With late detection, the disease is not possible to overcome completely. The prognosis for stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer is disappointing. The five-year survival threshold can be overcome only by 20% of patients.
Another danger of the disease is metastasis. Cancer cells gradually spread to neighboring organs and tissues. The intensity of metastasis may vary depending on the type of non-small cell cancer. Most often, the following organs suffer from the "secondary" process:
- lymph nodes;
- digestive organs;
- heart;
- adrenal glands;
- brain.
A complete cure is possible only if you seek early medical attention, well-chosen therapy.
Diagnostic Methods
The following diagnostic methods are used to detect non-small cell lung cancer:
- blood analysis;
- X-ray examination;
- CT and MRI of the lungs;
- bronchoscopy;
- thoracoscopy;
- sputum cytology;
- positron emission tomography.
Stages of the development of the disease
In the development of the disease, it is customary to distinguish 4 stages:
- Non-small cell lung cancer at the initial stage is characterized by the absence of a pronounced clinical picture. The tumor size is less than 3 cm, there are no metastases.
- In the second stage, the neoplasm becomes more aggressive. Oncological processes begin to advance to closely located lymph nodes. The first non-specific symptoms appear.
- The third stage is characterized by the spread of pathology to the lymph nodes and surrounding tissues. Multiple regional metastases are detected.
- The fourth stage is terminal and incurable. The tumor affects both lungs, intraorganic metastases are detected.
The correct determination of the stage of the oncological process allows you to give the most accurate prognosis for recovery.
Therapy options
In almost half the cases, patients seek medical help already with an inoperable form of the disease. However, even in the third stage, the progression of the disease can still be stopped. In general, the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer is based on several approaches: chemotherapeutic, surgical and radiotherapeutic. Consider what each of the options is.
Surgical intervention
During the operation, the doctor removes the neoplasm and the adjacent pathological areas (tissues, lymph nodes). Surgical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer is especially effective in the early stages. With the successful operation, it is possible to achieve complete cure or persistent remission. In modern medical practice, the following options are used to eliminate neoplasms:
- pneumonectomy (removal of a part of the lung affected by a tumor);
- lobectomy (excision of an organ lobe);
- bilobectomy (removal of two or more lobes).
Before surgery, the patient must again undergo a comprehensive examination to make sure the tumor is malignant. It is also important to verify the absence of contraindications to the procedure, the operability of the neoplasm. Among the main contraindications to surgical intervention, pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, severe exhaustion of the body, and advanced age can be distinguished.
After the operation, the patient is placed in the intensive care unit, where his main vital signs are continuously monitored, adequate pain relief is performed. If necessary, symptomatic treatment is prescribed.
Surgical cancer treatment is a complex procedure. Therefore, its implementation may be accompanied by complications. Among the latter, the following disorders are most often found: respiratory failure, bleeding, arrhythmia, infection attachment.
Chemotherapy features
In non-small cell lung cancer, chemotherapy involves the introduction of antitumor drugs into the patient's body (injection or oral). Treatment is carried out in courses, the duration of each of them is up to four weeks.
Chemotherapy for this type of cancer involves taking cytostatic agents. For example, Avastin, Tsitogem, Taxotere. These medications purposefully destroy tumor elements, but along with them healthy cells. Therefore, the entire treatment process is often accompanied by side effects in the form of hair loss, nausea, and lack of appetite.
Irradiation
Radiation or radiotherapy is indicated to reduce the size of the tumor, to alleviate the symptoms in the case of palliative treatment. Also, it is resorted to with help with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in the fourth stage in order to stop the pain syndrome. Irradiation is carried out at the initial stages of the pathology if the patient refuses surgical intervention or is contraindicated. The standard course of therapy is 6 weeks.
Prognosis for recovery
Unfortunately, it is possible to detect an oncological disease of this species at an early stage only in 30% of cases.
How many patients live with non-small cell lung cancer? In the fourth, and sometimes in the third stage, the disease is already difficult to surgical treatment. Due to rapid metastasis, cancer cells infect most organs. Therefore, the vast majority of patients die in the first 4-5 years after diagnosis.
However, with the right choice of the method of therapy, the prognosis improves markedly. Non-small cell lung cancer should be treated with surgical intervention at an early stage, when metastases have not yet managed to penetrate into distant organs. Chemotherapy in combination with radiation also gives good results. In some cases, it is possible to achieve an increase in life expectancy up to 10 years.
If non-small cell cancer is detected in the fourth stage, it is considered inappropriate to carry out expensive treatment. At this stage, the disease is no longer amenable to therapy. All the forces of doctors are usually aimed at stopping the pain syndrome and combating other unpleasant manifestations characteristic of the disease.