Types of Cancer

team_main_head

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. and worldwide.

The number of deaths from lung cancer continues to rise and is more frequent than the next four most common sites combined — colon, breast, prostate and pancreas. Martha Jefferson's five-year survival rate for lung cancer is superior to state and national averages.

Signs and Symptoms
Of the most commonly diagnosed and treated cancers, lung cancer is the most challenging in terms of long-term survival. This challenge is related to the stage at which the cancer is often found. Symptoms typically do not appear until the disease is advanced, and when it is found in the earlier stages, it is often as a byproduct of imaging tests performed for another reason. However, some symptoms may be present, including:

  • A persistent cough
  • Chest pain that is often made worse by taking deep breaths or coughing
  • Hoarseness
  • Weight loss and appetite loss
  • Bloody or rust-colored sputum
  • Shortness of breath
  • Feeling tired or weak
  • Recurrent infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia
  • Wheezing

How is it diagnosed?
After performing a physical exam and taking a medical history, your physician may want to perform one or more of the following tests:

  • Blood tests
  • Imaging tests, such as chest x-ray, CT Scan or CT guided biopsy, MRI scan, PET scan or bone scans
  • Tests of tissues and cells, such as sputum cytology, fine needle biopsy, bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound or bone marrow biopsy
  • Pulmonary function tests

How is it treated?
At Martha Jefferson Hospital, a multidisciplinary and multimodality approach to lung cancer provides patients with exceptional quality care and attention. Multimodality treatments are provided by experienced medical and radiation oncology physicians.

Exciting new treatments for lung cancer are continually being explored. At Martha Jefferson Hospital, your treatment will be tailored to your needs, and may include the following:

  • Radiofrequency catheter ablations of lung tumors
  • Interventional pulmonary endoscopy
  • Minimally invasive thoracic surgery
  • Major thoracic oncologic surgery
  • Respiratory gating to match radiation treatments to breathing cycles
    ▷ Watch the Respiratory Gating Video
  • Amifostine administration for chemoprotection of healthy lung tissue during radiation treatments
  • Targeted therapies such as Tarceva to block the growth and spread of cancer
  • Access to clinical trials

Where can I get more information?
You should be sure to ask your doctors for their assessment and recommendations for your particular disease. For more information online, we recommend the following websites:

ALCASE American Cancer Society American Lung Association Pleural Mesothelioma