Lung cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the lungs and can spread to other parts of the body when it is left untreated. There are some early signs and symptoms of this disease; however, depending on the stage of cancer, the signs may differ, and the right treatment can be administered accordingly. Here are the symptoms, types, stages, and some other important things to know about this illness.
Symptoms
There are some early warning signs of the disease, and there are some symptoms that show up when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Let’s take a look at these:
- A lingering or worsening cough
- Wheezing
- Hoarseness
- Persistent weakness and fatigue
- Recurrent respiratory infections like bronchitis or pneumonia
In later stages of lung cancer, some of the symptoms include lumps in the neck or collarbone, jaundice, swelling of the face and upper body, bone pain, especially in the back, hips, or ribs.
Types of lung cancer
There are various types of lung cancer, and most of these types can either be non-small cell lung cancer or small cell lung cancer. Here’s what one needs to know about these types.
Non-small cell lung cancer
Also known as NSCLC, this type of lung cancer makes up for about 80 to 85 percent of the cases. Moreover, there are different types of NSCLC cases, and when diagnosed in time, these types respond well to treatment in the early stage.
Squamous cell lung carcinoma
According to statistics, close to 30 percent of NSCLC cases begin in the squamous cells, which are lining the passages of the respiratory tract. This type of cancer is called the squamous cell carcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma
This is a type of cancer that forms in the outer part of the lungs. And there is a rare subset of adenocarcinoma that begins in the sacs of one’s lungs. However, this type of cancer is not aggressive and can be treated successfully.
Adenosquamous carcinoma
This type of cancer develops in the squamous cells and the mucus-producing cells. It is a rare type of cancer.
Large cell carcinoma
This is known to be a fast-growing group of NSCLC cases that usually does not qualify under any other type of lung cancer.
Small cell lung cancer
Also called SCLC, this makes for about 15 to 20 percent of lung cancer cases. This type of cancer is known to be more aggressive than NSCLC and also does not respond too well to treatment methods.
Mesothelioma
It is studied that this type of cancer can be linked with asbestos exposure. This is an aggressive and a fast-growing type of lung cancer that can be difficult to treat.
Stages of lung cancer
There are different intensities of lung cancer and these intensities are called the stages of cancer.
For each type of cancer, there are different stages. For example in NSCLC, there is hidden, then stage 0, followed by stage 1, 2, 3, and 4. In SCLC cases, there are two stages, one of which is called limited and the other is extensive. The treatments are based on the type and stage of the cancer.
