Lung Cancer

Question 1

What can lung cancer cause?

Answer 1

Blockage of bronchi due to intra-lumenal growth or extra-lumenal compression.
Accumulation of pleural fluid compressing.

Question 2

What are the para-neoplastic syndromes associated with lung cancer?

Answer 2

• Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (muscle weakness due to auto-antibodies)
• Hypercalcemia (an elevated calcium level in the blood)
• Inappropriate ADH production
• Horners syndrome- a condition marked by a contracted pupil, Muscle weakness in the hands, drooping upper eyelid, and local inability to sweat on one side of the face, caused by damage to sympathetic nerves on that side of the neck due to pan-coast tumours.

Question 3

What prior events can cause Lung Cancer?

Answer 3

• Smoking

- Asbestos

Question 4

What are the signs and symptoms?

Answer 4

• Dyspnoea (difficult or laboured breathing)
• Haemoptysis (the coughing up of blood)
• Chronic Coughing
• Wheezing
• Chest Pain
• Weight Loss
• Fatigue
• Loss of Appetite
• Finger Clubbing
• Dysphonia (difficulty in speaking due to a physical disorder of the mouth, tongue, throat, or vocal cords)
• Dysphagia (difficulty or discomfort in swallowing)

Question 5

What are the abnormal test results that you would get in Lung Cancer?

Answer 5

• Shadow or collapsed on chest X-ray
• A bronchiole or other mass on a CT Scan
• Visualised tumour obstructing tumour seen on a bronchoscopy
• A biopsy which shows malignancy or type of abnormal cells

Question 6

What are the medical and surgical interventions available?

Answer 6

• Lobectomy (surgical removal of a lobe of an organ such as the thyroid gland, lung, liver, or brain)
• Pneumonectomy (surgical removal of a lung or part of a lung)
• Chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy