Bronchial carcinoma Flashcards
Prevalence
Lung cancer accounts for 28% of cancer deaths in men
and 24% of cancer deaths in women (rapidly rising) in the US
Causes
Cigarette smoking being the most common cause of lung cancer in both sexes.
It is classified simply as:
1. Small cell cancer (deadly with poor prognosis)
2. Non-small cell cancer NSCLC:
- where curative resection is possible
e. g. - SCC
- adenocarcinoma
Clinical features
Most present at 50–70 yrs
Only 10–25% asymptomatic at time of diagnosis
If symptomatic—usually advanced and not resectable
Local symptoms
- Cough (42%)
- Chest pain (22%)
- Wheezing (15%)
- Haemoptysis (7%)
- Dyspnoea (5%)
General:
- anorexia
- malaise
- weight loss (unexplained)
Others:
- unresolved chest infection
- hoarseness
- symptoms from metastases
Investigations
Chest X-ray
Computerised tomography
Fibre-optic ± fluorescence bronchoscopy
PET scanning (to exclude metastatic disease)
No proven benefit of screening for asymptomatic people.
Management
Staging of cancer is pivotal to management.
Refer for possible surgical resection (NSCLC).