Lung Cancer

There are more than 170,000 new cases of lung cancer every year.  More people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.  Lung cancer affects both men and women.

Most cancers are named after the part of the body where the cancer first starts.  Lung cancer begins in the lungs.  Most cancers begin in the lining of the Bronchi, which bring air from the windpipe (trachea) into the lungs.

Lung cancer often takes years to develop, with some pre-cancerous changes occurring in the lung.  These pre-cancerous areas may produce chemicals causing new blood vessels to form, which nourish the cancer cells and cause the tumor to grow.

The lungs are made up of several kinds of cells that perform different functions.  The type of lung cancer depends on which cell type is affected.  The most common type of lung cancer, which accounts for 80% to 85% of lung cancers, is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).  The second type of lung cancer, which accounts for 15% to 20% of all lung cancers, is small cell lung cancer (SCLC).  There are a few other rare types of lung cancer.  Also, cancer that spreads to the lungs (metastatic cancer) is cancer that started in other organs (such as the breast, pancreas, kidney, or skin). 

Smoking is the leading risk factor causing lung cancer, 8 out of 10 lung cancers are thought to result from smoking.  Second-hand smoke is also a risk factor for causing lung cancer.  Non-smoking spouses of smokers, for example, have a 30% greater risk of developing lung cancer than do spouses of nonsmokers.  Exposure to cancer-causing agents such as asbestos, arsenic, chloride, coal exhaust and radon (radon is an odorless-radioactive gas produced by the natural breakdown of uranium), among others can increase the chances of developing lung cancer.  Air pollution can also increase the risk of developing lung cancer very slightly and is responsible for less than 1% of cases. 

Some of the treatment options for lung cancer are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, either alone or in combination, depending on the stage of the tumor.  Depending on the type and stage of the cancer, surgery may be used to remove the tumor and some of the lung tissue around it.  Chemotherapy refers to the use of drugs to kill cancer cells.  Chemotherapy may be given as the main treatment or in addition to surgery and/or radiation therapy (adjuvant therapy).  Radiation therapy is treatment with high-energy rays (such as x-rays) to kill or shrink cancer cells.  The radiation may come from outside the body (external radiation) or from radioactive materials placed directly in the tumor (internal or implant radiation).  External radiation is the type most often used to treat lung cancer.

OakWood Center Radiation Oncology is one of the few facilities in the area with the respiratory gating technology, (Active Breathing Coordinator™ or ABC) in conjunction with radiation therapy, to track tumors as they move during a patient’s breathing cycle.  By following the tumor’s movement, we are able to deliver treatment when it is in the optimal position.  This gives us the ability to treat with higher doses and spare surrounding healthy tissue from exposure. 

Please discuss your treatment options with your doctor and carefully learn about each method.  For more information on radiation therapy, call OakWood Center at 717-691-3235.