Lung Cancer Overview

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women and men both in the United States and throughout the world. Lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. In the United States in 2010, 157,300 people were projected to die from lung cancer, which is more than the number of deaths from colon and rectal, breast, and prostate cancer combined. Only about 2% of those diagnosed with lung cancer that has spread to other areas of the body are alive five years after the diagnosis, although the survival rates for lung cancers diagnosed at the earliest stage are higher, with approximately 49% surviving for five years or longer.

Symptoms of lung cancer

Symptoms of lung cancer
The symptoms of lung cancer may include any of the following:

a continuing cough, or change in a long-standing cough
a chest infection that doesn’t get better
increasing breathlessness
coughing up blood-stained phlegm (sputum)
a hoarse voice
a dull ache, or a sharp pain, when you cough or take a deep breath
loss of appetite and loss of weight
difficulty swallowing
excessive tiredness (fatigue) and lethargy.
If you have any of the above symptoms, it‘s important to have them checked by your doctor. All of these symptoms may also be caused by illnesses other than cancer.

Medications

Medications
Chemotherapy uses powerful medications to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is the most effective therapy for small cell lung cancer. It can help control the growth and spread of the cancer, but it cures lung cancer in only a small number of people. Chemotherapy also may be used to treat more advanced stages (stages III and IV) of non–small cell lung cancer.

Medication Choices
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the medicines enter your bloodstream, travel through your body, and kill cancer cells both inside and outside the lung area. Some chemotherapy drugs are taken by mouth (orally), while others are injected into a vein (intravenous, or IV).

Extensive research and clinical trials have studied the different chemotherapy medicines used to treat lung cancer. Some medicines are used for most people with lung cancer. Some are used in combination with others to be more effective. Some may be used before surgery or after surgery. Your oncologist will discuss and recommend chemotherapy treatment specific to your condition. Several of the more common chemotherapy medicines include the following:

Carboplatin
Cisplatin
Docetaxel
Erlotinib
Etoposide
Gemcitabine
Irinotecan
Paclitaxel
Pemetrexed
Topotecan
Vinorelbine
Gefitinib. This medicine is used for lung cancer but recent studies show it may not improve long-term survival for many people. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises people who are using this medicine to continue their treatment and talk with their oncologist.20

Bevacizumab is an intravenous (IV) drug that helps prevent formation of blood vessels that supply the tumor with nutrients and help the cancer grow and multiply. Studies suggest that bevacizumab used at the same time as some other forms of chemotherapy may help people with advanced lung cancer live longer. Bevacizumab is now approved to be used with the chemotherapy drugs carboplatin and paclitaxel for treating non-small cell lung cancer.21 But because bevacizumab has serious side effects, talk with your doctor about whether you should take this medicine.

What To Think About
Most chemotherapy causes some side effects. Your doctor may prescribe medicines to control nausea or vomiting.

Chemotherapy may be given before surgery (neoadjuvant) or after surgery (adjuvant therapy) to kill cancer cells.

Many clinical trials are studying the different combinations of chemotherapy medicines for the different stages of lung cancer. Discuss with your oncologist what choices are available for your lung cancer.

Radiation therapy may be given in combination with chemotherapy to treat specific tumors.

Clinical trials

If standard treatments are not effective or are causing more side effects than desired, you may want to consider being part of a clinical trial. These trials study new or different ways to treat cancer.

Author: Bets Davis, MFA Medical Review:Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine

Lung Cancer

About This Booklet

This National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet [NIH Publication No. 07-1553] is about cancer* that begins in the lung. It tells about diagnosis, staging, treatment, and comfort care. Learning about the medical care for people with lung cancer can help you take an active part in making choices about your own care.

This booklet has lists of questions that you may want to ask your doctor. Many people find it helpful to take a list of questions to a doctor visit. To help remember what your doctor says, you can take notes or ask whether you may use a tape recorder. You may also want to have a family member or friend with you when you talk with the doctor - to take part in the discussion, to take notes, or just to listen.

For the latest information about lung cancer, please visit our Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/lung. Or, contact our Cancer Information Service. We can answer your questions about cancer. We can send you NCI booklets and fact sheets. Call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or instant message us through the LiveHelp service.