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Lung Cancer is the most fatal and responsible for the most number of deaths among all cancers. But thankfully, it is not beyond treatment, especially in its earlier stages. The best type of Lung Cancer Treatment depends on the stage and nature of the cancer. Appropriateness of the recommended treatment depends on the expertise of the Lung Cancer Specialist and goes a long way into ensuring a successful recovery. This article provides an overview of the most popular methods of treating Lung Cancer and the common side-effects associated with them.

Surgery

Surgery is the most common way of treating Lung Cancer. It involves removal of the tumor along with the affected part of the lung. Though this is a popular step, its feasibility largely depends on the stage of the cancer. Surgery is preferably not opted for, if the cancer has spread to other places. The types of surgery for Lung Cancer are determined by the size of the lung tissue which requires to get removed. 

The procedure is termed Wedge Resection when only a small part of the lung has to be removed. Lobectomy or Bilobectomy is the removal of an entire lobe of the lung. In extreme cases, the entire lung may be required to be removed, in which case, it is called Pneumonectomy. Both Thoracotomy (large incision) and VATS or Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (small incision) can be used for Lung Cancer Surgery. The side-effects include complications due to surgery and pain.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation Therapy is used in 3 cases. It is used to shrink the tumor before surgery, kill the remaining cancer cells that may be left after surgery, or as the primary method of Cancer Treatment. Radiation Therapy, as the primary treatment, is mostly used when the cancer has spread too far for surgery to be feasible. The radiations can be administered either from outside the body or from right within the tumor. 

Radiation Therapy is however a complicated process with a host of side-effects, like skin reactions, sore throat, nausea, pain, tiredness, etc. Reaction to Radio Therapy is usually quite fast but managing the side-effects is the task of an expert.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, just like Radiation Therapy, attempts to destroy the cancerous cells. However, in this case, special drugs are used in place of radiation. The drugs are administered through tablets or intravenous lines. Chemotherapy has a huge risk of killing the healthy cells too leading to side effects like appetite loss, hair loss, fatigue, and more. Chemotherapy is being replaced with targeted therapy which is more accurate in attacking the cancerous cells.

Complementary Therapies

Many patients are going for complementary therapies to accompany their regular treatment regime. Techniques like meditation, Yoga, Therapeutic Touch, Ayurved, etc. have shown to lessen the effects of side effects and provide relief. However, it is highly recommended to consult your Lung Specialist on the same.

Consultation

Lung Cancer, being fatal, can take a lot of toll on the mental health of the patient and his near and dear ones. The Top Lung Cancer Treatment Centers have facilities for consultation on the same in their own premises or tie ups with those that provide the same.

The above are the some of the most popular methods that are being used to treat cancer. As further study on the matter brings newer facts to light, we are hopefully moving towards a world where Lung Cancer can kill no more. Till that times, ensure good health for your lungs with regular visits to a Lung Specialist.

Most people who suffer from chest pains automatically think they may have a problem with the heart. However, not only are chest pains an indication of heart disease (although a prime factor), but also the possibility that lung cancer may be developing (25% of lung cancer patients experience chest pains smoking is the most common cause of chest pain occurrence, with lung cancer the second - other causes may include: second-hand smoke and asbestos dust.

Chest Pains - associated with lung cancer are usually caused by the development of small cell lung cancer - SCLC (the less common, more aggressive lung cancer that makes-up for between 10% - 15% of all diagnosed lung cancer cases). SCLC, is a fast growing (quick metastasis [spread throughout the body]) form of lung cancer that is usually diagnosed while at a late stage (60% - 70% of patients diagnosed with SCLC are at stage III - IV of the disease making it not just difficult to treat, but also offering a poor patient prognosis average 5-year life-expectancy).

Other symptoms associated with SCLC may include: coughing/wheezing, dysphonia (unnatural deep/rough quality of voice), pains in the abdomen, and shortness of breath.

Pains are commonly experienced due to SCLC starting at the center of the chest. Inflammation (due to infections in/surrounding the lungs), irritation of the lung lining, chest pressure (due to nerve inflammation/tumor), and strained muscles (due to persistent coughing), may all have a bearing on why chest pains are prevalent. However, SCLC can quickly metastasize to other regions of the body too. For example: the lymph-nodes, the bones, the liver, and the brain can all quickly become affected by the disease.

Diagnosis - will usually be in the form of a physical exam, followed by a chest X-ray, a bronchoscopy (a trachea inspection), a CAT scan of the abdomen, brain, and chest, a PET scan (a chest cancer inspection), a sputum cytology (microscopic detection for lung cancer through mucous samples, and a thoracoscopy (incisions are made through the ribs to inspect the lungs).

Treatment - will not usually include surgery as a first option, rather: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and clinical trial treatments (new medicines, combinations, and therapies). Early stage diagnosis will give a patient a better prognosis; however, because this is usually (late stage diagnosis of SCLC is more common), the prognosis of a patient can only be assumed to be poor (individual specifics will have a bearing on any eventual patient out-come).

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the lining of the body's internal organs, a thin layer of cells known as the mesothelium. While very thin, this layer of cells is vitally important to organ function and the health of the inner body structures. There are three recognized types of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the pleural lining of the lungs and is the most common form of the disease. Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs within the peritoneum, which lines the abdominal cavity and is the second most common form of the disease. Pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest variety of the disease and occurs in the pericardial lining of the heart. The primary cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, though other factors, such as smoking may increase the likeliness of the disease in certain individuals. 

About the Disease

Simply put, mesothelioma which is commonly referred to as asbestos cancer, is an aggressive cancer caused primarily by the inhalation of dangerous asbestos fibers. The disease attacks the mesothelium, a protective, two-layered membrane that covers the internal organs of the body including the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. Between these layers, the cells produce fluid, which allows easy movement of the heart and lungs within the chest cavity. The layer that covers the lungs is called the pleura, and the layer that covers the heart is called the pericardium. The peritoneum lines the abdominal cavity. Mesothelium also lines the male and female reproductive organs. Mesothelioma can affect any of these cells, but is usually seen in the pleural or peritoneal mesothelium. The most commonly diagnosed form of this cancer is pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma takes anywhere from 20 to 50 years to develop, which is why older individuals are usually the victims. However, recent cases involving September 11th World Trade Center first responders and clean-up crews show that high concentrations of asbestos can cause the disease to develop much more rapidly. A few WTC workers have already died of the disease.

Effects of the Disease

The invasion of the mesothelium by cancer cells makes it very difficult for the patient to breathe, resulting in the need for oxygen, especially as the disease progresses. Those with the pleural form of mesothelioma may also suffer from pleural effusions. These effusions prevent the smooth movement of the lungs and other organs in the chest. Peritoneal mesothelioma also affects the stomach area and abdominal cavity, causing nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite, which can result in dangerous weight loss. In addition to breathing difficulties and loss of appetite, mesothelioma victims also complain of excessive coughing, sleeping difficulties, persistent chest pain, fever, and pain in the lower back.

Mesothelioma, in general, is a very painful disease and because it is usually not diagnosed until it's in an advanced stage. For this reason, the symptoms are typically quite serious. Late diagnosis also means that the cancer is more likely to have metastasized, or spread, making successful mesothelioma treatment even more difficult.

According to the surgeon general lists of the United States, 21 deadly diseases are caused by smoking, including lung cancer. Even though most smokers know what would be the effect of smoking, they are still addicted and continue using the tobacco products or the primarily industrially manufactured, the cigarettes. Approximately half a million smoking-related deaths, including both direct and secondhand smokers, have been reported every year, and out of that half a million, about 437,000 of those are direct smokers.

With 2 million people diagnosed to have lung cancer every year including 150,000 Americans, people may ask how likely one could acquire the disease? Basically, this disease could be acquired through exposure to carcinogens. It could be environmental or occupational. Smoking remains to be the number one risk factor for developing this cancer. Almost 80% of the lung cancer cases are projected to tobacco smoking and exposure to secondhand. Other possible causes of cancer are exposures to asbestos, halogen ether and chromium.

Genetic susceptibility is another factor that predisposes a person to acquire this lethal disease. Studies have shown that patients have an oncogene specific for developing this type of cancer, although further studies are still ongoing in order to solidify this theory.

What is really peculiar about lung cancer is that it may develop unnoticed until it reaches the later stages of the disease. A person could feel a wide variety of symptoms ranging from cough, back pain, weight loss, anorexia, generalized weakness and even fever. If anyone has these signs and symptoms, it is recommended to seek professional help.

There are many mesothelioma treatment alternatives available and a few medical doctors prefer to integrate mesothelioma surgical operation with chemotherapy or radiation. They do this in an attempt to remove or reduce the tumor in order that any additional growth may be disrupted.

in addition to surgery, medical doctors can perform a procedure known as thoracentesis that drains fluid that has been constructed across the lungs that reason ache, as well as issue in respiration of patients. If mesothelioma is placed close to the stomach location then the fluid is withdrawn with a needle in a method called paracentesis.

professionals claim that the peak before mesothelioma has now not yet been visible and some claim that one in every one hundred men born inside the Nineteen Forties will die of mesothelioma. As frightening as this statistic may be the clinical industry is still investigating in an attempt to locate successful mesothelioma surgery alternatives for diagnosed patients.