RADIATION THERAPY for LUNG CANCER
Understanding Your Treatment Options

Facts About Lung Cancer

• According to the American Cancer Society, this year more than 170,000 Americans will learn they have lung cancer.
• The one-year survival rate for lung cancer has advanced to 42 percent in 1998, up from 34 percent in 1975.

Risk Factors for Lung Cancer

Smoking greatly increases the chances of developing lung cancer.

• Other risk factors include exposure to substances like second-hand smoke, arsenic, radon, some organic chemicals, air pollution, asbestos and tuberculosis.

Quitting Smoking

The health benefits of quitting smoking begin immediately.

• Quitting smoking makes lung cancer treatment more effective.
• Quitting smoking also reduces the risks associated with surgery, the risk of infections (such as pneumonia), and improves breathing.
• To learn how to quit, talk to your physician or visit www.smokefree.gov.

Symptoms of Lung Cancer

Some signs and symptoms of lung cancer include:

• Recurring pneumonia or bronchitis.
• Persistent cough, coughing blood or shortness of breath.
• Chest pain.
• Swelling of the neck and face.
• Unexplained weight loss, fatigue or loss of appetite.

Diagnosing Lung Cancer

• A chest X-ray often reveals a tumor and shows where it is located. More detailed information can be obtained from other tests, such as CT scans and PET scans.
• To be certain if you have lung cancer, tissue from the lung is removed and analyzed. This is called a biopsy.
• The biopsy may be done during a bronchoscopy, a test where a flexible, lighted tube is inserted into your nose or mouth to look at the lungs’ airways.
• A biopsy may also be done with a needle inserted through the skin directly into the tumor under CT guidance.

Types of Lung Cancer

The two main types of lung cancer are non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.

• Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer. It often grows and spreads less rapidly than small cell lung cancer. There are three types of non-small cell lung cancer — squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.
• Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer. It grows more rapidly and is more likely to spread to other organs in the body.
• Lung cancer usually starts in one lung. Without treatment, it can spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the chest, including the other lung. Lung cancer can also metastasize (or spread) to the bones, brain, liver or other organs.

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