Prognosis and Diagnosis of Lung Cancer :

Lung Cancer Prognosis

Lung cancer prognosis means the procedure of prediction of final outcome of the cancer affecting the lung and in nutshell, it is defined as the term that signifies the outcome of the disease and the outcome of any disease may be a favorable outcome or unfavorable outcome.

Generally, if the primary lung cancerous cells have invaded other organs like bones, liver, kidney etc., it can be said that prognosis will be poor.

Many factors have been taken into account by the Oncologist, when deciding the prognosis of a patient diagnose with lung cancer. These comprises the stage of the disease, the

These include the stage of the disease, the general health of the patient and the available therapies to the patient. In order to deliver the information on lung cancer prognosis, the physician who has extra knowledge of Oncology should be an informed person when compared to the routine physician.

The cancer specialist will try to decide on whether the patient is suffering from primary lung cancer or secondary lung cancer prior to delivering the lung cancer prognosis.

After taking all necessary precautions, endoscopic biopsy techniques may be applied in the pulmonary regions and histopathologic investigation is carried out, subsequently with these samples. In order to make confirmation on the nature of cancer, this is done and by this, in most of the occasions, it becomes possible to discover whether the cancer is of a benign one or a malignant one.

So as to achieve more knowledge on the signs pertaining to the lung cancer, the lung cancer prognosis may also be discussed with multiple medical experts that find out the prognosis of the lung cancer in the affected patients.

However, with the usual thoracic specialist who is regularly consulted in such problems, one has to be free during the inter actions, and whatever the technical doubts that arise in his mind on lung cancer and its prognosis, the patient need not hide or hesitate to clarify.

The happiest persons will be the experienced specialist since he finds that the patient is showing keen interest in the prognosis and hence, he can be of sure that the concerned patient will definitely follow the medical suggestions delivered from time to time.

During the estimation of the proper outcome of the existing cancer problem, many factors are to be taken into criteria.

Familiar occurrence as proved by the history of occurrence of such cancerous growths, the considerable significant criteria for lung cancer prognosis are in pulmonary areas, gender of the patient, the clinical pathology related parameters like examination of sputum for the presence of cancerous cells, particularly in case of lung cancers accompanied by invasion into air passages, results of radiographic investigations.

If the specialist is in the suspicion of bone involvement, based on specific estimation of minerals like calcium in serum, in addition to estimation of serum alkaline phosphatase the lung cancer prognosis may be given. Patients with extension of pulmonary cancer into bones are having poor Lung cancer prognosis.

Similarly, if the lung cancer is suspected to have secondary affection in organs like liver, in addition to the serum level of total proteins and serum albumin, the medical expert revealing lung cancer prognosis will attempt to find out the serum levels of aspartate amino transferase and alanine amino transferase,.

In short, the lung cancer prognosis will be unfavorable in patients affected by pulmonary cancer, if metastases are encountered.

Patients who are diagnosed with non small cell lung cancer in stage 1, for instance, may have as much as a 75% five year survival rate. In contrast, patients diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in the later stages face a 50% chance of death within four months.

Most prognoses are based on statistics. They can be extremely distressing, particularly if you look only at overall statistics. If you break things down and look at the prognoses for more specific situations then the news is far different.

For instance:

In the early stages, the prognosis for five year survival is 80%, when lung cancer is diagnosed, prior it has spread to the lymph nodes and it is confined to a small tumor.

Non-small lung cancer diagnosed after the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, but where only one set of lymph nodes is involved have a five year survival rate of 50%.

The five year survival rate for patients who undergo successful surgery to remove a tumor is approximately 75%.

Those diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in the limited (early stages) have a 35-40% five year survival rate.

For this reason, regardless of what your doctor tells you, it is important to do what you can to take care of yourself. While nutrition may not provide a ‘cure’ for lung cancer, for instance, eating well most certainly can affect the eventual outcome of the disease.

During chemotherapy and radiation therapy, eating a healthy diet may be difficult, but it can make a major difference in both your quality of life during treatment and the eventual outcome of the treatment.

Prognosis for lung cancer depends on your attitude – the more positive you can be, the better your chances of getting through a battle with lung cancer alive and smiling.

Lung Cancer Diagnosis

By using preliminary diagnosis techniques, the presence of lung cancer can either be confirmed or discounted. If lung cancer is confirmed then to identify the extent of the disease, further detailed diagnosis and tests need to be carried out, while appropriate treatment is undertaken to combat the affliction.

The doctor evaluates a person’s medical history smoking history, exposure to environmental and occupational substances, and family history of cancer in order to help find the cause of symptoms. The doctor also conducts a physical examination and may order a chest X-ray and other tests.

Patient's History

Suspicion by the doctor for lung cancer leads to do the following:

As part of your medical history, your doctor will ask about:

Once the diagnosis for lung cancer (or any other cancer) has been confirmed, the next step is for the doctor to ascertain the stage of the cancer and how far it has spread.

To discover whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body and so where, Staging is used. For determining the best possible options and strategies for treatment, this detailed diagnosis is very important.

Chest x-ray

Approximately, half of all x-rays obtained in hospitals are chest x-rays. To gain an assessment of the lungs, heart and chest wall, it is usually performed. In addition to lung cancer, a chest x-ray can locate Pneumonia, heart failure, emphysema, and other medical conditions

The doctor will order to look for any tumor or spots on the lungs, if it is the first test. High probably, there is no lung cancer if it's normal, but the doctor will order further tests if anything suspicious is spotted.

CT Scanning or Computed Tomography or CT or CAT Scan

In order to obtain multiple cross-sectional images of organs and tissues of the body, it uses unique equipment.

When comparing with a conventional x-ray, a CAT scan can produce far more detailed images and is particularly useful for diagnosing tumours. Including the lungs, heart, bones, soft tissues, it simultaneously shows many different types of body tissue.

Using many different angles, modern CT scans utilize a method called spiral (or helical) CT which captures images of the chest. It processes the images with the assistance of a computer to create cross-sectional pictures or "slices" of the area causing concern.

Using monitor, the images can then be printed out or examined. Sometimes to achieve a better picture, after the first set is taken an intravenous injection of a radio-contrast agent is administered. This helps to outline the structures within the body. A second set of pictures is then taken so they can be examined together.

A CT scan provides the precise information about the size, shape, and position of a tumour, and helps discover any enlarged lymph nodes which could contain cancer which has spread from the lung.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Instead of x-rays, MRI scans use radio waves and strong magnets. In a model shaped by the tissue, the energy released from the radio waves is absorbed and re-released and the disease being investigated.

The pattern of radio waves given by tissues and organs into very detailed images of parts of the body were translated by a very sophisticated computer. Not only does this produce cross sectional slices of the body like a CT scanner, it can also produce slices parallel with the length of the body.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Positron Emission Tomography uses glucose which is a form of sugar containing a radioactive atom. Cancer cells in the body attract large amounts of this radioactive sugar and a special camera is then able to detect the radioactivity.

In order to find if someone is suffering from early stage lung cancer, a PET scan is a very useful test and is often used to discover if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.

In ascertaining whether a shadow on a chest x-ray is cancer or not, it's also valuable. PET scans are also helpful when a doctor thinks the cancer has spread, but unsure where the spread may be.

Rather than several different x-rays, PET scans can also be used because they scan your whole body.

Screening

In order to look for signs of cancer prior to exposure by a person to any symptoms, Screening comprises a series of tests to be done. When it is treatable, screening helps discover cancer at an earlier stage.

If abnormal tissue or cancer is found early enough, the possibility for curing it becomes very complex due to the corresponding increase in spread of the symptoms of the cancer.

If someone in the early stages tested positive for lung cancer, there are several ways of diagnosing

A physical examination and history taking: To check for general signs of health (or ill health), an examination of the person's body. This includes checking for signs of disease and unusual lumps, bumps and anything else that seems unusual.

The doctor will also take a history of the person's health habits, any past illnesses and treatments given for those illnesses.

Laboratory tests – Sputum Analysis

These are medical procedures testing different samples of tissue, blood, urine, and other substances in the body. In addition to help diagnose the disease, they also assist in the planning, management and monitoring of the disease.

For the evidence of the cancer cells in the lungs, a sputum analysis test is important. For every three day period, the sputum is usually collected. This ensures a more accurate diagnosis than that made with a single sputum collection.

Sputum is mucus from the lungs. Sputum Cytology is a microscopic examination of sputum cells obtained from a deep-cough sample and this is often useful in detecting the presence of lung cancer. The most effective method for this test is to collect and analyze the sputum each morning for three days.

To confirm the presence of lung cancer, a pathologist will examine a tissue sample taken directly from the lung. The pathologist will be able to determine whether a person has cancer when examined under a microscope. Various methods may be used to obtain the required lung tissue sample:

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy

Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy is an examination which uses a small flexible lighted tube to pass into the nasal canal and then into the appropriate bronchus (airway) down to the cancer. In order to determine the exact type of the cancer, a small piece of the cancer is removed and taken for a biopsy examination and appropriate treatment given.

Percutaneous needle biopsy

Percutaneous is another examination which involves inserting a thin needle into the tumour through the person's skin and chest wall. This is a useful test for tumours close to the surface of the lung.

In conjunction with a CAT scan it is often used, which assists in guiding the needle into the tumour.

Excision or surgical removal of the suspected tumour can lead to further diagnosis. Performed through a small incision into the chest, this clinical procedure involves using a small thin video camera inserted into the chest to help in removing a small block of lung tissue using a mechanical surgical stapling device or laser.

Mediastinoscopy

A Mediastinoscopy involves looking into the mid portion of the chest through a small incision made just below the collar line. It is used to take samples from the lymph nodes in the central part of the chest (mediastinum). This test helps evaluate how extensive the tumour is. If the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, the chance of surgically curing the lung cancer is automatically eliminated.

Mediastinotomy

A Mediastinotomy removes mediastinal lymph nodes. This is a complex test, and the patient has to undergo general anaesthesia. Unlike a Mediastinoscopy, this procedure opens up the chest cavity by cutting through the sternum (breastbone) and/or the ribs. It permits the surgeon to reach and test more lymph nodes than he is able to reach through a Mediastinoscopy.

Thoracentesis

A Thoracentesis is performed to remove a sample of fluid surrounding the lungs to check for cancer cells by using a needle.

Thoracotomy

A Thoracotomy can be useful to test for malignancy, if surgery is needed. This procedure is performed in hospital as a major operation, since the chest wall has to be opened.

Thoracoscopy

Thoracoscopy is a procedure to view the space between the lungs and chest wall using a thin, lighted tube connected to a video camera.

Bone Marrow Biopsy

In a bone marrow biopsy a needle is used to remove a sample of bone about 1/16 inch across and 1 inch long (more often than not from the back of your hip bone).

Under a microscope for cancer cells, the sample is then checked. To mainly diagnose small cell lung cancer, this procedure is performed.

Blood Test

Blood test a complete blood test checks if your blood has the exact number of different cell types by showing whether you have anaemia or other related problems.

If someone is undergoing chemotherapy treatment, especially this test is repeated on a regular basis. Chemotherapy drugs affect the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow and sometimes cause lots of problematic side effects.

Blood Chemistry Tests

Blood chemistry tests spot abnormalities in organs and other parts of the body. If cancer has spread to the liver and bones, it might cause certain chemical abnormalities in the blood and worsen any problems already suffered by the patient so it's important all eventualities are monitored for.