Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Stage 1) - Symptoms, Diagnosis, Stages and Treatment

Symptoms

Stage 1 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be present in a sufferer without showing any signs or symptoms. It is usually diagnosed when a doctor orders a patient to take a chest X-ray which is often associated with another illness. Symptoms may include: a persistent cough (smoker's cough), shortness of breath, wheezing, and recurrent bronchitis or pneumonia. At this early stage, other symptoms are not usually present in a sufferer.

Diagnosis

Stage 1 NSCLC is localized (contained within the lungs) and has not spread to the lymph nodes or other organs in the body.

Stages

- 1 The cancer is localized within the lungs but has not yet spread to the lymph nodes.

- 1A (the tumor is 3 cm or less in diameter).

- 1B (the tumor is between 3-5 cm in diameter).

These stages may also be described with a system called TNM (T = tumor size, N = nodes, and M = metastasis [spread of cancer]). Example:

- 1A (T1N0M0) Meaning that the tumor is less than 3 cm (T1), with no nodes (N0), and no metastasis (M0).

- 1B (T2N0M0) Meaning that the tumor is greater than 3 cm (T2), with no nodes (N0), and no metastasis (M0).

Treatment

Surgery is usually considered as the primary option for Stage 1 lung cancer treatment where removal of the tumor may be done via various different techniques. These techniques may include: segmentectomy (removal of a small segment of the lung), lobectomy (removal of the lobe of the lung), or pneumonectomy (removal of the entire lung).

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) may be used when either the location of the tumor is difficult to reach using traditional surgery, or when the general health of the patient is not at its best and considered that the patient would not be able to tolerate a full surgical procedure. VATS is also less intrusive on the patient than traditional surgery.

If the cancer is considered to be inoperable, radiation therapy may be used to treat it.

Stereotactic body radiosurgery (SBRS) is one treatment that may be considered. This is where the patient is first immobilized in a frame to stop any movement, then computer imaging techniques are used to identify precisely where the cancerous cells are. These cells are then in turn destroyed by being given high dosages of radiation.

Conventional radiation therapy's are not usually recommended with Stage 1A lung cancer, although with Stage 1B, adjuvant chemotherapy (chemotherapy used after surgery to kill off any remaining cancerous cells) may be offered.

Philip Albert Edmonds-Hunt is from the County of Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. He has travelled most of Europe, and he has lived in Spain on more than one occasion. Philip has also travelled much of the USA and now lives and works as a Freelance Writer and English Teacher in Mexico. He is the owner of The Oxford Quill, a small but reliable business offering a range of services such as Professional Article Writing, Proofreading, and Website Design. If you would like to read more about lung cancer, check out: https://sites.google.com/site/theoxfordquill/how-to-treat-lung-cancer-caused-by-melanoma

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Discussing Lung Cancer Treatment

The World Health Organisation estimates that cancer is the cause of a staggering 13% of deaths worldwide per year. Of all the different cancer types, lung cancer is the most deadly by a significant margin (1.37 million deaths per year, with the second most deadly- stomach cancer- accounting for a much smaller 736,000).

It is important then, if you or someone you know is suffering from lung cancer, to be aware of the different treatment options available and which ones are the most effective. As always, this information is intended only to improve awareness and in the unfortunate cases where readers are suffering from this disease, they should always listen to the expert advice of their doctors. The appropriate treatment will always depend on the type of cancer, its stage of progression, where the cancer is within the lung and the state of the sufferer's health in general.

Lobectomy

Lobectomy is the surgical removal of one or more 'lobes' of the lung in order to get rid of the infected tissue and prevent the cancer from spreading. This may require, in some cases, the removal of an entire lung (technically a pneumonectamy), but is only really suitable for non small-cell cancers and unless the cancer is in the early stages, may have to be paired with another treatment.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of cytotoxic drugs to prevent the growth of cancers on a cellular level. Small-cell lung cancers, which occur in 12 in every 100 sufferers, tend to respond well to this treatment and it is also favoured in cases where the cancer has spread beyond the lung.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is the targeted use of radiation at the site of the cancer (in this case the lung, sometimes along with the brain depending on the risk of the cancer spreading) which is intended to kill the cancer cells. A course of radiotherapy normally lasts between 3 and 6 weeks, and can be given in tandem with chemotherapy to good effect.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy uses intense cold temperatures to freeze and kill tumours within the lung, most of which are then removed (but some may be expelled naturally post-surgery). This type of therapy has been shown to reduce symptoms in as many as 8 out of 10 patients.

Photodynamic Therapy

PDT involves injecting the patient with a drug to make them highly sensitized to light. Later, the patient is placed under anaesthetic and a bronchoscopy is performed, during which an extremely bright light is shined onto the tumour which triggers the drug to kill the cancer cells.

The Royal Brompton Hospital is one of the world's leading heart and lung centres, renowned for its expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. If you're looking for more information about the early symptoms of lung cancer visit us today.

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