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Non-small cell lung cancer

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Alternative Names

Lung cancer -  non-small cell; NSCLC

Symptoms

Lung cancer is unlikely to produce symptoms until the disease is advanced. When symptoms develop, they may result from the lung tumor itself, from its effects on tissues outside the lung, or from the spread of malignant cells to other organs.

Early Symptoms

Early symptoms may include the following:

• Frequent bouts of pneumonia, or pneumonia that does not clear up in a normal period of time
• Coughing (particularly coughing up blood)
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain

Symptoms of Later Stages

Later-stage symptoms include the following:

• Shortness of breath, a common symptom, is the result of cancer that has spread in the lung and the pleura, the membrane covering the lung.
• In some cases, tumor growth or spread of the cancer presses against the superior vena cava , a large vein that returns blood from the upper part of the body to the heart. When this happens, a condition called superior vena cava syndrome may occur, leading to obvious swelling in the arms and face.
• The esophagus is the pipe that takes food from the mouth to the stomach. The cancer may spread to or press against the esophagus, interfering with swallowing and nutrition.
• Cancer can damage the nerves that control the voice box, causing hoarseness.
• Damage to the brachial plexus, a group of nerves branching from the neck, can cause pain, weakness, or numbness in the arm or hand ( Pancoast's syndrome ).
• Bronchoalveolar lung cancer may produce very large amounts of mucus.
• Some lung cancers produce substances that remove calcium from bone and release it into the bloodstream, causing a condition called hypercalcemia . Patients with this disorder can experience nausea, vomiting, constipation, weakness, and fatigue.

Other lung cancers (usually small cell cancer) cause the body to retain water, lowering the blood's sodium levels. This condition, called hyponatremia , can produce confusion, weakness, and even seizures.

• Review Date: 6/30/2006
• Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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