Pathology of lung cancers

Question 1

what are common symptoms of lung cancer?

Answer 1

a cough that doesn't go away
coughing up of blood or rust-coloured sputum
chest pain
hoarseness
weight loss
loss of appetite
shortness of breath
feeling tired or weak
infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia
new onset of wheezing

Question 2

what is pulmonary opacity?

Answer 2

pulmonary opacification represents the result of a decrease in the ratio of gas to soft tissue in the lung

Question 3

what are causes of pulmonary opacity?

Answer 3

focal airspace opacity
diffuse or multifocal airspace
disease
fine reticular pattern
coarse reticular pattern
reticulnodular pattern
military pattern
nodular pattern

Question 4

what is lung cancer?

Answer 4

it is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that start off in one or both lungs; usually in the cells that line the air passages, the abnormal cells do not develop into healthy lung tissue, they divide rapidly and form tumours

Question 5

what are the two broad types of lung carcinoma?

Answer 5

small cell lung carcinomas
and
non-small cell lung carcinomas

Question 6

what is the classification of lung carcinomas based upon?

Answer 6

the classification between small or non-small is based upon the microscopic appearance of the tumour cells

Question 7

what is the most common type of lung cancer?

Answer 7

non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer

Question 8

what percentage of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancers?

Answer 8

85%

Question 9

list subtypes of non-small cell lung cancers

Answer 9

squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma

Question 10

what are the most common sites of metastases for lung cancer?

Answer 10

the other lung, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, bones, brain, liver

Question 11

where do most cancers first spread to?

Answer 11

lymph nodes in the chest near the tumour, lung cancer can spread to nearly any region of the body