Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Lung Cancer
Number of Conditions: 3
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Thoracic Cancers
Sub-category: Lung Cancer
Symptoms:
persistent cough; chest pain; shortness of breath; wheezing; unexplained weight loss; fatigue; hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
Root Cause:
Abnormal and uncontrolled growth of lung cells leading to tumor formation in the lung.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosis typically involves imaging tests (CT scan, chest X-ray), biopsy (either via bronchoscopy, needle biopsy, or surgery), and molecular testing for genetic mutations.
Treatment:
Treatment options depend on the stage and type but can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
Medications:
Chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin (alkylating agent) and pemetrexed (antimetabolite); targeted therapies like osimertinib (EGFR inhibitor); immunotherapies such as nivolumab (checkpoint inhibitor).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking (primary risk factor), exposure to secondhand smoke, environmental toxins (e.g., radon, asbestos), family history, older age.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Prognosis depends on the stage at diagnosis. Early-stage NSCLC has a better prognosis, with survival rates improving with surgery or targeted therapy; advanced stages generally have lower survival rates.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Respiratory failure, metastasis to other organs, pleural effusion, recurrence after treatment, and side effects from treatments (e.g., chemotherapy-induced neutropenia).
Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Thoracic Cancers
Sub-category: Lung Cancer
Symptoms:
cough; chest pain; shortness of breath; wheezing; hoarseness; unexplained weight loss; fatigue; paraneoplastic syndromes (e.g., siadh, cushing’s syndrome)
Root Cause:
Rapidly growing, aggressive cancer that typically starts in the bronchi and spreads early to other parts of the body.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosis often involves chest imaging (X-ray, CT), biopsy (bronchoscopy or needle biopsy), and staging with PET scan to assess metastasis.
Treatment:
Treatment primarily involves chemotherapy and radiation. SCLC is less commonly treated with surgery due to its early spread.
Medications:
Chemotherapy regimens typically include etoposide (topoisomerase inhibitor) and cisplatin (alkylating agent). Immunotherapy agents like atezolizumab are also used in combination with chemotherapy.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
SCLC accounts for about 15% of all lung cancer cases.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking (strongest risk factor), secondhand smoke exposure, occupational exposures (asbestos, radon), genetic predisposition.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
SCLC is aggressive with a poor prognosis. It often metastasizes quickly and is typically diagnosed at a later stage. However, with early diagnosis and aggressive treatment, some patients may achieve remission.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Metastasis to brain, liver, and bones, paraneoplastic syndromes, treatment-related side effects, and cachexia.
Lung Carcinoid Tumors
Specialty: Oncology
Category: Thoracic Cancers
Sub-category: Lung Cancer
Symptoms:
persistent cough; wheezing; chest pain; shortness of breath; unexplained weight loss; fatigue; coughing up blood (hemoptysis); recurrent pneumonia
Root Cause:
Slow-growing neuroendocrine tumors that form in the lung tissue, often originating from bronchial epithelial cells.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosis typically involves imaging (CT scans, X-ray), biopsy (bronchoscopy or percutaneous biopsy), and possibly a bronchial lavage or cytology. Immunohistochemistry is used to confirm the neuroendocrine nature of the tumor.
Treatment:
Surgery is the primary treatment for localized carcinoid tumors. For advanced stages, treatments may include chemotherapy or somatostatin analogs (e.g., octreotide) for symptom control and slowing tumor growth.
Medications:
Somatostatin analogs (e.g., octreotide ) for symptom control, chemotherapy agents such as streptozocin (alkylating agent) or etoposide (topoisomerase inhibitor) for advanced disease.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Lung carcinoid tumors are rare, accounting for about 1–2% of all lung cancers.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking is less of a risk factor compared to other types of lung cancer. There may be associations with genetic conditions such as multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndrome.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Generally good prognosis, especially when diagnosed early. These tumors tend to grow slowly and are often treatable with surgery, with many patients surviving long-term after removal of the tumor.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Metastasis (though rare), recurrence of tumors, carcinoid syndrome (flushing, diarrhea, wheezing), and treatment-related side effects.