Receiving a diagnosis of lung cancer means that a cancer has developed in your trachea, the bronchi or your lung tissue.
Trachea
Bronchi
Lung Tissue
DID YOU KNOW?
The term ‘cancer’ (also known as a tumour or mass) describes disease caused when cells become able to grow and divide abnormally, and eventually spread to other parts of the body.
DID YOU KNOW?
The lungs are made up of five sections called lobes. The right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two.
What causes lung cancer?
Smoking
Regularly breathing in second-hand smoke
Exposure to radon
Exposure to asbestos
Exposure to arsenic
Exposure to uranium
Exposure to other chemicals (for example, in the workplace)
Having had radiation therapy to the chest in the past
Having had infections that have caused chronic inflammation in the body
Exposure to significant air pollution
A family history of lung cancer
Having related diseases*
*Including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), widespread pulmonary fibrosis and some types of cancer.
What are the risk factors for lung cancer?
More than one risk factor can result in the development of lung cancer. Although you can’t definitely prevent it, there are things you can do to reduce your risk.
Avoid smoking
Avoid second-hand smoke, as much as possible
Eat well
Exercise
Avoid toxic chemicals
Test your home for asbestos and high levels of radon
Test your drinking water for chemicals known to cause cancer
How can lung cancer affect you?
If you have one or more of the following persistent symptoms it is important that you get checked by your doctor as soon as possible.
Cough
Breathing problems
Intermittent fever for many weeks
Appetite/weight loss
Extreme fatigue and weakness
Shoulder, chest or rib pain
Bone pain
Finger clubbing
If the cancer spreads (metastasises) to another part of the body, symptoms and signs might appear in the part of the body that the cancer has spread to. For example, if the cancer spreads to the brain, a person might experience neurological symptoms such as headaches, seizures, loss of balance and memory loss.
As a lung cancer develops, it can cause other symptoms that include:
Bigger lymph nodes
For example, on the neck.
Difficulty Speaking
Caused by effects on a vocal cord.
Difficulty Swallowing
Caused by the oesophagus (food pipe) becoming squashed.
Can lung cancer be cured?
The earlier the stage of a cancer when it is found, the greater the chance that it can be cured. The chance of cure decreases significantly as a cancer becomes more advanced and starts to spread.
IMPORTANT
While some lung cancers can’t be cured, improvements in treatments and care mean that people with lung cancer can have well-managed symptoms and enjoy better quality of life.
How is lung cancer treated?
Different types of lung cancer respond to treatments in different ways, so it is important to find out the type and stage of your cancer. Knowing the type and stage of your lung cancer, your general health and your treatment goals will enable you and your medical team to decide which treatments may be best for you, and most effective against your cancer. These may include:
Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiotherapy
Chemoradiotherapy
Targeted therapy
Immunotherapy
Ablation
Laser therapy
Photodynamic therapy
Diathermy (electrocautery)
New treatments are being developed all the time and you may be eligible to take part in a clinical trial. Clinical trials test how well new medical approaches and treatments work and whether they are as good as, or better than, existing treatments.