Overview

Non-small cell lung cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the lung.Smoking is the major risk factor for non-small cell lung cancer.Signs of non-small cell lung cancer include a cough that doesn't go away and shortness of breath.

Symptoms

Chest discomfort or pain,cough that doesn’t go away or gets worse over time, Trouble breathing, Wheezing, Blood in sputum (mucus coughed up from the lungs), Hoarseness, Loss of appetite, Weight loss for no known reason, Feeling very tired, Trouble swallowing, Swelling in the face and/or veins in the neck.

Causes

Smoking cigarettes, pipes, or cigars, now or in the past, exposed to secondhand smoke, exposed to asbestos, arsenic, chromium, beryllium, nickel, soot, or tar in the workplace,being exposed to radiation, family history of lung cancer, being infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Diagnosis

Physical exam and history, Chest X-Ray, CT scan, Sputum cytology Thoracentesis : The removal of fluid from the space between the lining of the chest and the lung, using a needle. If lung cancer is suspected, a biopsy is done.

Prevention

Not smoking, Quitting smoking, Lower exposure to workplace risk factors, Lower exposure to radon.

Treatment

Surgery, Radiation therapy, Chemotherapy, Targeted therapy, Immunotherapy, Molecules used in Chemotherapy: Carboplatin, Docetaxel, Gemcitabine, Nab-paclitaxel, Paclitaxel, Pemetrexed.

Everyday Life

Left untreated, science researchers estimate that people with the most common form of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, might live an average of seven months.

Resources

https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer-non-small-cell/typestreatment

https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/patient/non-small-cell-lung-treatmentpdq

https://www.verywellhealth.com/lung-cancer-survival-without-treatment-3971880