Passive smoking, which involves inhaling someone else’s cigarette smoke also increases the risk of getting lung cancer.

Other causes of lung cancer include:

1. Exposure to cancer causing agents like asbestos, coal products, arsenic, chloromethyl, etc. during a job.
2. Exposure to radiation because of one’s occupation, like repeated x-rays although this is quite un-common.
3. Radon gas. It occurs in soil and rocks in certain areas.

1. General – A cough, a change in a persistent cough, shortness of breath, phlegm having blood in it, loss in appetite and weight-loss.
2. Less common (Associated with more advanced lung cancer) – Hoarse voice, difficulty in swallowing, finger clubbing, swollen face caused by Superior Vena Cava Obstruction (SVCO), swollen neck caused by enlarged lymph nodes and pain under right side of the ribs.
3. Pancoast tumours – Drooping or weakness in one eye lid, pupil size reduces in tha eye, no sweat on that side of the face and severe shoulder pain. (Horner’s syndrome)

Odd symptoms – Numbness in fingers and toes, weak muscles, dizziness, breast swelling in males and increased tendency for blood clots.

Survival rate for cancer for the 5 year period from 1997-2002 by race and sex was:

a)      13.4% for white males

b)      10.5% for black males

c)      17.4% for white females

d)     14.5% for black females

Based on the stage, the survival rate of cancer patients is, based on historical data, given below:

a)      16% of the cases are diagnosed while the cancer is still confined to the primary stage (localized stage). The survival rate for patients diagnosed at this stage is 49.3%.

b)      37% of the cases are diagnosed after the spread of the cancer to regional lymph nodes or beyond the primary site. The survival rate for these patients is 15.5%.

c)      39% of the lung cancer cases are diagnosed when the cancer has already metastasized. The survival rate here is 2.1%.

Finally, 8% of the lung cancer cases diagnosed had staging that was unknown. The survival rate in these cases was 7.9%.

But, clinical finding show that when compared to only comfort care, treatment for stage IV patients can improve the overall survival rate.  Plus, chemotherapy may help to relieve some of the symptoms of cancer that the patients experience, in those that experience significant symptoms.

Patients with stage IV of the disease have several options for treatment through chemptherapeutic agents. These include paclitaxel (Taxol) and carboplatin (Paraplatin) and newer agents like vinorelbine tartare (Navelbine), gemcitabinee hydrochloride (Gemzar), docetaxel (Taxotere) and combinations of the above treatments with cisplatin (Platinol).

1. First, those with abnormal, enlarged lymph nodes, could undergo combination treatment plan involving radiation and chemotherapy. This has cause various side effects though and it is unclear whether survival is improved when surgery is performed after concurrent combination therapy.
2. The second group, those with normal appearing mediastinal nodes, should go for tumor resection surgery. Preoperative chemotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy is another option with a follow up resection of any remaining tumor.

And lastly, the third group which includes those with Stage 3b cancer, a chemo-radiotherapy combination treatment plan is suggested for patients with non-cancerous effusion. Patients with cancerous effusion should try chemotherapy alone instead of therapy with comfort care.

1. If diagnosed at the limited stage where the tumor is small and confined to the chest the chances of surviving around two years is roughly 20%.
2. If diagnosed at the extensive stage when the tumor has spread to other organs of the body the chances of surviving two years falls drastically to 5%.

Finally, if diagnosed at the recurrent stage where small cell lung cancer recurs after treatment surviving 2-3 months is the most that can be hoped for.

1) One third of the people diagnosed with small cell lung cancer have it in the limited stage. The average survival rate of people with this stage of the disease is roughly 3-4 months. This was because of rapid appearance of distant metastasis. Newer treatments are being developed that attempt at changing the sad outlook on this disease.

2) Two thirds of the people diagnosed with small cell lung cancer get it in the extensive stage. If no treatment is given then the life expectancy of these patients is between 6 and 8 weeks. Extensive treatment accompanied with combination chemotherapy increases their life expectancy to 8-10 months.

This radiation can be external or internal:

1) External beam radiation therapy involves a radiation delivery machine focusing a beam of radiation on the precise location of the tumor on your body for an exact amount of time.

2) Internal radiation, also called brachytherapy, involves placing radioactive material into or near the tumor. Thin plastic tubes are placed into the nose and into the airways where the tumor is located. Then a brachytherapy machine is connected to the tubes and used to deliver a dose of radiation by placing, for a short period, a tiny radioactive source near the lung tumor. 

1. Stage I – At this stage the tumor has not spread to involve lymph nodes and can be removed surgically. Here, there is a 50-80% chance that the patient will survive for a period of 5 years.
2. Stage II – Here, the tumor has spread to the hilar lymph nodes or the dust wall, diaphragm or mediastinum and the chances of lasting 5 years are roughly 30-50%.
3. Stage III – This stage is divided into A and B. IIIA being the type where the tumor can be removed and having a 5 year survival rate of 10-30% and IIIB being the type where the tumor cannot be removed and chances of surviving 5 years is 5-20%.
4. Stage IV – at this stage the cancer has spread to distant sites and the chances that a person will survive for a period of 5 years is less than 5%, a very poor prognosis indeed.