Overview
There are two main forms of lung cancer
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) – Contributes to 80-85% of lung cancers with many different subtypes such as adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma which are often grouped together due to similar treatments and prognoses.
- Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) – Known as oat cancer and makes up for 10-15% of lung cancers. SCLC grows and spreads faster than NSCLC, rendering 70% of patients with metastatic cancer upon diagnosis.
Known to be one of the leading causes of death in Malaysia
Causes
Most forms of lung cancer are caused by tobacco smoking (both active and passive). The risk increases with increased consumption of cigarettes over time. Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals, most of which can cause lung cancer.
Other causes include:
- Air pollution
- Asbestos exposure
- Lung diseases (tuberculosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Radon/Radium exposure
- Occupational exposure to arsenic, chromium, nickel, aromatic hydrocarbon and ether
Symptoms
While many patients with lung cancer may be asymptomatic in earlier stages, the symptoms tend to occur when the cancer has advanced in stage.
- New cough that doesn’t go away
- Coughing up blood or blood-tinged phlegm
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Hoarseness
- Losing weight without trying
- Bone pain
- Headaches
Diagnosis & Treatment
Upon physical examination, a doctor will perform investigations to confirm lung cancer diagnosis through:
- Blood investigations
- Sputum examination
- Chest x-ray
- Computerised Tomography (CT) scan of the thorax – This test visualises the lungs in a three-dimensional setting to measure the size and spread of cancer, identifying the stage of cancer.
- Bronchoscopy – A bronchoscopy allows the doctor to visualise cancer with abnormalities submitted to a biopsy to confirm the type of lung cancer.
- Pleuroscopy – Performed when there is excessive fluid in the pleural cavity caused by cancer. Part of the processincludes removing excess fluid for diagnostics and biopsies to confirm the type of lung cancer.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) – A scan to detect cancer and metastases.
- Mediastinoscopy
- Lung function tests