Understanding cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, affecting around 38,000 people1. Two thirds of those are men, though the proportion may be changing as the number of women taking up smoking, the major cause of lung cancer, increases.
There are two main types of lung cancer, small cell and non-small cell lung cancer, with the majority of cases (80%) being non-small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer spreads slowly, while small cell lung cancer spreads rapidly and often secondary tumours already exist by the time lung cancer is diagnosed. Lung cancer can spread to any organ, though most commonly to bone, liver or brain.
The lung is also a common site for secondary tumours that have spread from cancer elsewhere in the body, including breast, prostate, testicular and colon cancer.
Signs and symptoms
- Symptoms for all types of lung cancer include the following:
- A long term cough or change in how you cough
- Shortness of breath or wheezing
- Constant or gradual chest pain
- Coughing up blood in your phlegm
- A sharp chest pain when you cough or take a deep breath
- Persistent chest infections
- A continual hoarse or croaky voice
While these symptoms could be the result of many other conditions, you should see your doctor if you suffer any of the above, especially if you are a smoker.
Diagnosis
If your GP suspects you have lung cancer, you will be referred for a chest x-ray. If the x-ray shows signs of lung cancer you will be referred to a chest specialist. You may be referred to the chest specialist straight away if you have been coughing blood.
Further tests and investigations may then include a biopsy, where a small sample of lung tissue will be taken for testing, blood tests, liver function tests and CT scans.
Treatment
Treatment for lung cancer will depend on the type of cancer you have, how advanced it is and how far it has spread.
Small cell lung cancer is treated with a combination of local radiotherapy targeting the primary tumour in the lung and chemotherapy to treat any potential spread of cancer cells.
If the tumour is non-small cell lung cancer and has not spread, removal of the affected lung or part of the lung through surgery gives the best chance of curing the cancer. Sometimes surgery is not possible because of the location of the tumour within the lung. In these cases radical radiotherapy is used to target the tumour, aiming to destroy it completely. This type of radiotherapy treatment usually takes place daily, five days a week over four to six weeks.
If it is not possible to remove or destroy the tumour completely, then smaller numbers of radiotherapy treatments and/or chemotherapy can be used to control the symptoms and relieve pain. Chemotherapy may also be used if the cancer has spread.
Radiotherapy for lung cancer must be delivered extremely accurately to avoid damage to cells in healthy lung tissue and to the spinal cord. New techniques including intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) enable precision targeting of the treatment area.
Cancer Partners UK offers cancer treatment for a wide range of cancers using external beam radiotherapy. We use the uses the latest advancements in radiotherapy technology to increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment and reduce side effects.
Find out more about the cancers we can treat using intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image guided radiotherapy (IGRT).
