LUNG CANCER

Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than 170,000 new cases each year. It is also the leading cause of death from cancer.

SYMPTOMS OF LUNG CANCER

Most lung cancers are identified when patients receive a chest X-ray or CAT scan for an unrelated reason. Initial symptoms of lung cancer include:
• persistent cough
• shortness of breath
• recurring respiratory tract infections
• recurring cold
For this reason, many lung cancer patients first see their doctor about a cold, cough, or possible pneumonia.

More advanced symptoms may include:
• blood mixed in sputum
• unrelenting chest pain

The only accurate way to diagnose lung cancer is a biopsy of the lung nodule or growth.

TREATMENT OF LUNG CANCER

A lung resection is a surgical procedure to remove a damaged or diseased portion of a lung, or a whole lung. Read more about lung resection. Lung resection surgery is best for curing lung cancer when the disease is identified in its early stages. Read more about cancer staging.

The type and extent of surgery recommended depends on the patient's specific diagnosis regarding the stage, location, and type of cancer. For those patients who are candidates for lung resection surgery, the procedure may be done using the Lobectomy approach which is the surgical excision of a lobe of the lung or using the Pneumonectomy approach which is a surgical procedure to remove the entire lung in the case when the cancer is quite large or very central in the lung.