Recently, there has been a trend of an increase in the number of oncological diseases. Many factors influence this. One of the most common diseases is peripheral lung cancer. Incidence of them over the past few years has increased dramatically, and in all countries. Most often its victims are men, but women do not bypass the problem.
What is lung cancer?
In most countries, oncology is considered the number one cause of early mortality. Among all cancers, tumors in the lungs appear most often. At the same time, normal cells cease to function as before and begin to share unrestrainedly. So there is a cancerous tumor.
It can have a different histological structure, and development in each particular case is characterized by the rate of its growth. If there is a differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, then it develops slowly, undifferentiated, on the contrary, differs by rapid growth and the ability to give extensive metastases.
Usually, the tumor develops in one of the lungs, most often appears peripheral lung cancer. And with a higher probability this tumor is located in the upper lobes. There is more air exchange and a more comfortable structure of the bronchus. He practically in a straight line continues the trachea, which means that all harmful substances penetrate into the interior unhindered.
Causes of lung cancer development
In most cases, the start of the growth of cancer cells is due to the person's own fault. Disregard for your health leads to such disastrous consequences. Most often, peripheral lung cancer begins to develop for the following reasons:
1. Smoking. This is one of the most important and main reasons for the appearance of the disease. In tobacco smoke contains a huge number of harmful and poisonous substances, which are also carcinogens. Practically 75-90% of all cases of cancer development are associated with smoking. This includes passive smoking. Some doctors believe that it is even more dangerous than directly smoking a cigarette.
2. Professional factors, among which a special place is occupied by the following harmful substances:
- nickel and its compounds;
- arsenic;
- radon and its decay products;
- coal tar.
3. Atmospheric pollution. This phenomenon can be observed not only in the territory of a harmful enterprise, but also along motor roads, and even far beyond megacities. The population of those regions and cities, where there are enterprises of heavy industry, chemical and oil refining, suffers especially.
4. Dirty air in living areas. This includes not only the smokiness of apartments, but also the pollution associated with radon and its derivatives, which are most often contained:
- in building materials used for construction and decoration of premises;
- in drinking water.
5. The impact of some viruses on the DNA of the cell.
6. Genetic predisposition, but with this disease its role is rather small.
It should be noted that all these factors act as synergists in relation to each other, which can be more likely to provoke peripheral lung cancer.
Species
In medicine, there are several classifications of lung tumors. If to consider an arrangement in an organ, allocate:
1. The central cancer, it develops directly inside of bronchuses, it subdivide into:
- endobronchial;
- peribronchial;
- branched.
2. Peripheral lung cancer is characterized by a tumor that is localized in the lung. It is also divided into:
- round tumor;
- pneumonia-like;
- is the cancer of the apex of the lung.
Central cancer occurs twice as often, and among peripheral species, in most cases, peripheral cancer of the right lung is diagnosed.
Different types of ailments differ not only in anatomical structure, but also in the course of the flow, and, accordingly, in the methods of treatment.
Characteristics of peripheral cancer
The tumor that develops directly in the lung tissue has its own distinctive features:
- The round tumor most often occurs in the form of a spherical formation, in rare cases resembles a seal of irregular shape. Tumors can be related or not with the lumens of the bronchi.
- Pneumonia-like cancer was named for its similarity to lung inflammation for radiographic examination.
- Cancer of the apex of the lung usually develops in the apical part and is able to grow into the 1st and 2nd pair of ribs, as well as into the processes of the cervical vertebrae. In the presence of this kind of pain can appear in the area of the shoulder and forearm.
Since the cancer can be small cell and non-small cell, it is necessary to find out with biopsy, because the therapy in these cases is different.
Symptoms of peripheral cancer
This type of disease in the first stages of its development does not manifest itself. This is due to the fact that there are no pain receptors in the lungs. As the tumor grows, bronchi, pleura and neighboring organs are already involved in the process.
At this point, the signs begin to show more vividly:
- Cough appears with sputum, there may be blood streaks.
- The voice becomes husky.
- There is a syndrome of compression of the superior vena cava.
- As peripheral lung cancer progresses, dyspnea appears.
- General weakness.
- Intoxication of the body.
- Weight loss.
- Body temperature may increase.
- If peripheral carcinoma of the upper lobe of the left lung is diagnosed, there may be pain in the shoulder, neck, weakness in the muscles of the hand, and visual impairment.
At later stages, complications from metastatic-affected organs begin to occur. Death, as a rule, comes from extensive metastases, cancerous pneumonia and severe exhaustion of the body.
If you have these symptoms, you need to see a doctor urgently. Of course, they are not 100% guarantors of lung cancer, but it is better to insure yourself. Moreover, with peripheral cancer symptoms appear much later than in the central.
Diagnosis of the disease
It is impossible to put an accurate diagnosis on symptoms alone, without additional examinations, especially so serious. If, according to your complaints, the doctor begins to suspect the presence of a tumor, a full examination will be assigned, which includes such species as:
- Radiography.
- To clarify the diagnosis - a computerized tomography.
- Bronchoscopy.
- Biopsy - to clarify the variety of the tumor.
These are only basic studies, without which it is impossible to establish the correct diagnosis. Not to mention the fact that blood tests, urine tests, ECG tests are required, and other studies are being conducted.
After the results of the examination, the attending physician will be determined with the methods of therapy.
Stages of peripheral cancer
Any cancerous tumor passes through several stages in its development. They are designed specifically to enable you to determine how much the tumor has spread in the body, as well as choose methods of treatment.
If peripheral lung cancer develops, the stages are as follows:
1. If this is a non-small-cell form of cancer, then 4 stages are distinguished:
- 1st is characterized by a small tumor that is localized in one of the lungs.
- The 2nd stage is manifested by an enlarged tumor that seizes the lymph nodes of the diseased lung.
- In the third stage, the tumor is large and is also in the lymph nodes in the tissues between the lungs.
- The 4th stage is the most serious - the cancer is thrown on a healthy lung, metastases appear in other organs.
2. Small-celled cancer has only 2 stages:
- The tumor is located in one half of the chest.
- A common process captures both halves of the chest, metastases are found in many internal organs.
Treatment of peripheral lung cancer
Separation at the stage for this purpose exists so that the physician can more specifically determine the methods of treatment. At each stage of the development of the disease, the methods of therapy may differ and have their own characteristics.
The patient's age will also influence the choice of treatment methods, if the diagnosis is peripheral lung cancer, the history of the disease is also taken into account before prescribing medications. Some people start using the methods of traditional medicine immediately after detection of cancer, but their effectiveness has not been proven, only proven methods of official medicine can help in the fight against the disease and prolong the life of the patient.
The doctor-oncologist should be engaged in treatment. Depending on the variety of cancer, the methods of therapy are different, in general terms, they are used:
- Chemotherapy.
- Radiation irradiation.
- Surgical intervention.
Treatment of non-small cell cancer
If non-small cell peripheral carcinoma of the left lung is diagnosed, for example, surgical intervention is indicated in the first and second stages. The doctor removes part of the affected lung or the whole if the tumor is large.
If the operation was carried out at the second stage of the disease, additional treatment is prescribed, it includes:
- Radiation therapy is an irradiation that kills cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy with the use of drugs that are destructive to the tumor.
If the disease is already in the third stage, then initially, surgical removal is indicated, followed by chemotherapy and irradiation.
After the treatment, it is necessary to visit the oncologist regularly, in time to suspect a relapse of the disease and begin timely treatment. It was noted that if the patient never parted with his addiction to smoking, then relapses happen much more often.
When the disease reaches the 4th stage, it is unlikely that you will cure the patient, you can only prolong his life a little, using the same methods of treatment as in the first three stages of the disease.
Small cell cancer and its treatment
This form is distinguished by its rapid growth and early metastases. Therefore, even in the very first stages of the disease, chemotherapy is mandatory.
Surgical removal is usually performed if the stage is early and there are no metastases yet. But doctors noticed that even removal, and then irradiation does not give a 100% guarantee of complete cure.
To increase the life expectancy of patients and improve its quality is possible only with the use of chemotherapy after surgery. At least 4 courses must be completed.
It is established that if you combine all the methods of treatment, then this gives a much greater effect than applying them separately. For example, after chemotherapy relapses occur in more than 80% of cases, after irradiation - in 33%, and if they are combined, then in only 28% of patients.
Chemotherapy is always a great burden on the body, not all patients normally tolerate this procedure, so it is advisable to conduct it permanently. In each case, the doctor prescribes medications and their combination, the scheme of application and the duration of treatment.
Forecast
If peripheral lung cancer is diagnosed, then the outlook is usually unfavorable. Everything depends on the time of detection of the disease: the earlier it is detected, the more effective the treatment.
Since peripheral cancer is detected at the first stages quite rarely due to the absence of pain, even with a combination of different treatments, the survival of patients for 5 years is only 40%.
If treatment is not done at all, then 90% of patients die within two years after the diagnosis such as peripheral cancer of the upper lobe of the right lung.
It is possible to diagnose the disease in the early stages with the help of fluoroscopy, so do not neglect the annual medical examinations, especially since our life depends on it. Cancer is a very insidious disease, which in the first stages does not want to manifest itself, and at later times it is sometimes too late to do anything.
Prevention
Preventive measures are currently quite relevant, given the high mortality from lung cancer and the frequent occurrence of the disease. The main preventive measures include:
- Treatment and prevention of inflammatory lung diseases.
- Full refusal of smoking.
- Therapy of benign lesions in the lungs.
- Neutralization of harmful factors in production.
- Avoiding the effects of carcinogenic factors in everyday life.
- Passage of fluorography at least once a year.
All these measures can not guarantee 100% that this disease will not overtake you, but the risk of oncology will significantly decrease. A careful attitude to yourself and your health will make it possible to detect the disease at the earliest stages, when treatment can give a good result.