What causes lung cancer?

Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
Updated on September 13, 2024
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Lung cancer is caused by a variety of factors. Research indicates that lung cancer results from a combination of genetic defects, external and internal environmental factors, and personal factors. Numerous studies have confirmed that long-term and heavy smoking is the most significant carcinogenic factor for lung cancer. There is a positive correlation between the amount and duration of smoking and the incidence of lung cancer. The second factor is related to working in asbestos-related industries, which very much relates to the work environment, and also has a certain relation to smog. Indoor environmental pollution is also a very significant carcinogenic factor for lung cancer. This includes smoke from burning coal indoors, fumes from cooking oils in kitchens, and carcinogenic substances released by indoor decorating materials. Fourthly, internal human factors such as the immune status, metabolic abnormalities, genetic factors, and chronic lung infections are also related. The fifth factor involves irregular diet and rest habits, irritating foods, alcohol consumption, and heavy smoking.

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Will early-stage lung cancer cause coughing up blood?

Patients with lung cancer, in the early stage, may have symptoms of coughing up blood. Some patients not only cough up blood but may also experience coughing or coughing up phlegm. In more severe cases, there may be symptoms of fever or difficulty breathing, and some may experience chest tightness or chest pain. If such conditions are detected, timely treatment is necessary to effectively alleviate the symptoms. It is recommended to consider chemotherapy or radiotherapy for treatment. Patients themselves must pay attention to rest and avoid excessive fatigue.

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Written by An Yong Peng
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Does lung cancer cause a dry cough and a feeling of stuffiness?

Lung cancer can present symptoms of chest tightness along with dry cough, or it may simply manifest as dry cough alone. Some early-stage lung cancers might only involve dry cough without other symptoms like chest tightness or breathing difficulties. However, for patients with advanced lung cancer, in addition to dry cough, symptoms may include chest tightness and breathing difficulties. Advanced lung cancer can compress the patient's major airways, leading to narrowing of these airways, and thus cause symptoms such as dry cough and chest tightness. In advanced stages, lung cancer may also be accompanied by a significant accumulation of pleural effusion. In such cases, patients might experience chest tightness and breathing difficulties along with dry cough. Therefore, lung cancer can either solely manifest as dry cough or may also be accompanied by symptoms of chest tightness, particularly in advanced stages, where it is relatively common to have chest tightness along with dry cough.

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Written by Gong Chun
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How long can one live with lung cancer?

The survival period of malignant tumors is a topic of great concern to everyone. The question of how long one can live with lung cancer is very difficult to answer. It should be based on the patient's physical condition and the pathological staging. However, these judgments are only based on a predictive basis and do not determine how long the patient can live. If the patient does not relapse after surgery, is sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and shows no signs of recurrence or resistance, then their five-year survival rate is naturally higher. If the patient experiences recurrence and metastasis after surgery, then the five-year survival rate is naturally lower. Therefore, the question of how long a person can live with a malignant tumor cannot be answered generically.

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What is the treatment for lung cancer?

Treatment for lung cancer should be based on the pathological staging, the pathology type, the biological behavior of the lung cancer, and individualization, taking into account the patient's cardiopulmonary function and overall systemic condition to develop a personalized treatment plan. For non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer, the treatment approaches differ significantly. Therefore, it is advisable for patients to seek treatment at specialized hospitals, under the guidance of oncology specialists. Generally, treatment options for non-small cell lung cancer include surgical resection, adjunctive chemoradiation, neoadjuvant chemoradiation, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. For small cell lung cancer, a comprehensive treatment plan combining chemoradiation, along with prophylactic cranial irradiation and other aggressive treatments, is recommended. Each individual's situation might differ, so it is important to focus on a personalized comprehensive treatment plan rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

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Symptoms of malignant transformation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Firstly, cancer transformation is not the main complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but both COPD and lung cancer share a common cause, which is smoking. Therefore, COPD and lung cancer are generally considered two different diseases, and the symptoms of COPD combined with lung cancer are mainly those of lung cancer, typically including irritating dry cough, blood-streaked sputum, weight loss, etc. Thus, lung imaging studies can be used to preliminarily determine the possibility of cancer in patients, and further diagnostic steps can be chosen based on the patient’s imaging and related symptoms, including biopsy, bronchoscopy, etc.