Lung Cancer Facts Made Simple

As with any serious illness, follow-up care is very important in cases of lung cancer. Cancer of any kind has a tendency to recur — so the patient needs to be carefully monitored for this possibility. Also, the patient may experience other health problems associated with cancer or arising from the treatment regimen like chemotherapy. The patient needs follow-up care to deal with them.

The patient himself, his family members and the healthcare professionals should watch out for any changes in the patient’s health and overall physical condition. This can help to treat problems as early as possible.

Follow up care can include regular physical checkups, lab tests of various kinds and perhaps chest x-rays. The patient should be made aware of the critical importance of these checkups and should attend them with regularity.

Very likely, the patient also needs psychological support. Cancer is a scary disease and having it can have a profound emotional impact on the patient.

Even after the treatment is over, the family members, healthcare professionals and perhaps others like cancer support groups should provide the necessary emotional support and assistance.

Cancer survivor groups in particular may be very helpful. The patient comes to understand that he or she is far from alone in his condition and that others have successfully combated this disease and come out stronger on the other side.

For more information, refer to stage 3 lung cancer and facts on lung cancer.

The first one to check out is:

Lung Cancer: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment
by Walter J. Scott M.D.
ISBN 1886039437

Has a fair bit of information for the layman. The author covers areas like diagnosis of lung cancer (with an emphasis on early detection), cancer staging and its uses, treatments for lung cancer including radiation, surgery, chemotherapy, etc.

He also digs into clinical trials for lung cancer drugs and why they are important. There is a section on alternative treatments that some will find useful. The emotional side of lung cancer is a must read section. By the way, here is an article with some useful answers to the question how do people cope with cancer.

Strangely enough, lung cancer receives less funding than some other cancers, despite being the number one killer cancer in America and other nations. The author speaks out about this situation as well.

Here’s another book to check out.

Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul: 101 Healing Stories About Those Who Have Survived Cancer (Paperback) by Jack Canfield et al
ISBN: 1558744029

The Chicken Soup series are worldwide bestsellers. Perhaps you have read a few of those books. They contain heartwarming stories, words of wisdom and wit from people right around the world who have lived through various life situations with varying degrees of success.

In this book, 101 cancer survivors talk about their experiences. Their words will not fail to light the lamp of hope, determination, positive attitude and much more that are essential to successfully fighting this disease. This book will help you face your situation with greater calmness and a sense of peace. Well worth a read. It’ll be available at a bookstore near you.

If the doctor suspects the presence of lung cancer, he will move fast to do further testing to confirm or deny the presence of the disease. Time is of the essence because lung cancer offers a very poor prognosis if it is detected at later stages.

Here is a partial list of what the doctor will look at:

* The patient’s medical history
* Smoking habits. Exposure to second-hand smoke.
* Family history of cancer.
* Exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace or elsewhere.
* Measurement of lung capacity and function.
* Listening for abnormal sounds in the lung using a stethoscope
* Check for swollen lymph nodes in the armpit or neck. Check the midsection for signs of a swollen liver or tumor masses.
* Chest x-ray. This can reveal cancerous masses, but there are also many cases of tumors not showing up on x-rays because of their small size or because they were behind a bone.
* Examination of sputum cells under a microscope. These cells are obtained through deep coughs.
* Lung tissue biopsy.

Check out this article - are there any main causes of cancer? You’ll find out about the top causes as well as possible preventive measures.