YOUR ANCHORAGE RADIATION ONCOLOGY EXPERTS CAN TREAT YOUR LUNG CANCER
Effective lung cancer treatment is close to home with Alaska CyberKnife Center at Providence Cancer Center in Anchorage. We serve the entire state of Alaska, as well as patients from the mainland and Canada. With Alaska CyberKnife, you’ll find precise and effective radiation treatment for both operable and inoperable lung tumors.
At our cancer treatment center, you’ll also find professionals who truly care for their patients and will do everything they can to cure you of your cancer. We will explain all of your treatment options and the process for each so you can make an informed decision about your care with your team of radiation oncology experts.
WHAT IS LUNG CANCER?
When abnormal cells in the lungs grow rapidly and form malignant tumors, the result is lung cancer. It’s the second most common form of cancer found in men and women and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both. Cigarette smoking is the primary risk factor for developing lung cancer, linked to 80% in women and 90% in men of lung cancers in the U.S. Lung cancer is especially common in people aged 60 or older who smoke (or who have smoked in the past) and who are exposed to secondhand smoke and other toxins. Lung cancer has a five-year survival rate of only 17.8%, the lowest of all the types of cancer.
More than fifty percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer die within a year. The key to treating lung cancer is to get it diagnosed as early as possible. The experts at Alaska CyberKnife will evaluate your particular case and develop the best possible treatment plan for you.
You may have been diagnosed with one of two major types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Your oncologists may recommend different treatment methods based on the individual type of cancer.
- The most prevalent type of lung cancer is NSCLC and is attributed to 80% of all lung cancer diagnoses. It spreads more slowly than SCLC and is divided into three sub-categories: adenocarcinoma, located in the outer lung; squamous cell carcinoma, which forms in the center of the lung near an air tube; and large cell carcinoma, which can appear in any part of the lung and tends to spread faster than other types of NSCLC.
- SCLC is the type of lung cancer that is mostly commonly associated with cigarette smoking. It is divided into two sub-categories: small cell carcinoma and combined SCLC, which includes large cells.
A third form of lung cancer, called carcinoid tumors, is much less common. It develops more slowly than other forms and typically requires surgery to treat.
LUNG TUMOR SYMPTOMS
Unfortunately, the symptoms of lung cancer are often not realized until it is already metastasized, or spread, to the other parts of the body. This is because they are often common symptoms associated with more common disorders. The first symptoms of lung cancer may include:
- Cough – especially a persistent cough that doesn’t go away or a “smoker’s cough” that is chronic and sometimes accompanied by pain
- Coughing up blood – this should always be followed by an immediate doctor’s appointment
- Fatigue – lung cancer patients are often feel tired and weak
- Loss of appetite – cancer sometimes causes a change in appetite which can lead to losing weight unintentionally
- Shortness of breath, trouble breathing, or wheezing
- Hoarseness, swollen lymph nodes
- Chest pain
More advanced stages of lung cancer symptoms may include:
- Headaches – sometimes these headaches can be associated with dizziness or arms and legs that become weak or numb
- Lumps in the neck or collar bone region
- Bone pain
- Swelling of the face, arms or neck
- Jaundice