Of all the types of cancer, lung cancer is responsible for the most deaths in men and in women. Tobacco smoking is thought to be responsible for 8 out of 10 cases of lung cancer. Smoking greatly increases the risk of developing lung cancer because tobacco smoke contains carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer). At this time, stopping smoking is the only proven method for reducing the risk of developing lung cancer. Exposure to second-hand smoke from being around people who smoke also increases the risk of developing lung cancer. The August 24/31, 2005, issue of JAMA includes an article on staging (see below) of lung cancer. This Patient Page is based on one published in the January 15, 2003, issue of JAMA.
Persistent cough
Constant chest pain
Fatigue
Loss of appetite or weight loss
Recurrent pneumonia
Swelling of neck and face
Coughing up blood
If lung cancer is suspected, your doctor may order a chest x-ray and a sputum test, in which mucus coughed up from the lungs is analyzed. To confirm the presence of lung cancer, a biopsy may be performed: a small sample of lung tissue is removed and examined for cancerous cells. If lung cancer is diagnosed, your doctor will want to determine the extent of the cancer and whether it has spread to other organs, a process known as staging. Knowing the stage of the disease is important in determining treatment.
Grahic Jump Location
Many factors go into determining the best treatment for lung cancer, including the stage of the disease, the specific type of cancer cells, the location in the lungs, and the general health of the patient.
Surgery to remove part of the lung, or in some cases an entire lung, may be performed. Surgery for some tumors may not be possible because of their size or location.
Chemotherapy (using drugs that kill cancer cells) is commonly used to treat cancer. Chemotherapy drugs are often given by vein.
Targeted therapy (using drugs that target proteins on the surface of lung cancer cells) is a new form of treatment.
Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by using high-energy rays supplied either by an external source aimed at the tumor or by implanting tiny radioactive particles directly in the tumor.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can have serious side effects, especially because these 2 treatments affect healthy as well as cancerous cells. Typical side effects include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, mouth sores, and fatigue.
American Cancer Society800/ACS-2345http://www.cancer.gov
National Cancer Institute800/4-CANCER (800/422-6237)http://www.nci.nih.gov
To find this and previous JAMA Patient Pages, go to the Patient Page link on JAMA's Web site at http://www.jama.com. A Patient Page on tobacco use was published in the September 1, 1999, issue, and one on quitting smoking was published in the July 24/31, 2002, issue.
Sources: American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, American Lung Association
The JAMA Patient Page is a public service of JAMA. The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your personal medical condition, JAMA suggests that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, call 718/946-7424.
TOPIC: CANCER
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
Instructions
Comments are moderated and will appear on the site at the discretion of the Journal of American Medical Association editors. Comments should not exceed 500 words of text and 10 references.
Do not submit personal medical questions or information that could identify a specific patient, questions about a particular case, or general inquiries to an author. Only content that has not been published, posted, or submitted elsewhere should be submitted. By submitting this Comment, you and any coauthors transfer copyright to the journal if your Comment is posted.
* = Required Field
Disclosure of Any Conflicts of Interest* Indicate all relevant conflicts of interest of each author below, including all relevant financial interests, activities, and relationships within the past 3 years including, but not limited to, employment, affiliation, grants or funding, consultancies, honoraria or payment, speakers’ bureaus, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, royalties, donation of medical equipment, or patents planned, pending, or issued. If all authors have none, check "No potential conflicts or relevant financial interests" in the box below. Please also indicate any funding received in support of this work. The information will be posted with your response.
Register and get free email Table of Contents alerts, saved searches, PowerPoint downloads, CME quizzes, and more
Subscribe for full-text access to content from 1998 forward and a host of useful features
Activate your current subscription (AMA members and current subscribers)
Some tools below are only available to our subscribers or users with an online account.
Download citation file:
Customize your page view by dragging & repositioning the boxes below.
and access these and other features:
Register Now
Enter your username and email address. We'll send you a reminder to the email address on record.
Athens and Shibboleth are access management services that provide single sign-on to protected resources. They replace the multiple user names and passwords necessary to access subscription-based content with a single user name and password that can be entered once per session. It operates independently of a user's location or IP address. If your institution uses Athens or Shibboleth authentication, please contact your site administrator to receive your user name and password.