Lung Cancer: Pathophysiology, Signs and Symptoms, and Diagnostics Tests

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Lung Cancer: Pathophysiology, Signs and Symptoms, and Diagnostics Tests

Lung cancer is the deadliest of all cancers in the United States and the world as a whole. According to Torre, Siegel and Jemal (2016), lung cancer kills more people than prostate, ovarian, colon, and breast cancers combined. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 160,000 individuals died of cancer in 2015. Although it is one of the lethal diseases in the world, lung cancer can be prevented by observing healthy lifestyle such as quitting smoking which has been ranked as one of the greatest risk of the disease. Washington and Leaver (2015) add that lung cancer is a disease of modern times whose spread has been facilitated by poor living style and exposure to some environmental impurities. Other that health burden, the economic affliction of lung cancer to nations is huge and can be appraised in several ways which include life-years lost, costs related to premature deaths, and direct charges of medical care. This paper, therefore, provides a detailed information about lung cancer, especially it is pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, diagnostics tests which ca be used by a master’s prepared nurse to educate members of the community and patients about the disease.

Lung cancer starts with exposure to carcinogens. According to Reckamp (2016), the most significant risk factors for lung cancer which contributes to 85 percent is cigarette smoke. Additional risk factors include pollutants such as tar, asbestos, chromium, and arsenic substances. The pathophysiology of lung cancer follows two broad types of lung cancer: the small cell lung (SCLC) cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SCLC starts in the bronchi next to the middle of the chest, and then spreads extensively through the body objectively earlier in the progression of the disease before the symptoms can be noticed. The cancer cells then multiply very quickly to form big tumors which spread to lymph nodes and other organs, such as the brain, the bones, liver, and adrenal glands. On the other hand, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. It has a slow spread/ growth rate. Some of the symptoms include stubborn cough that does not stop and in some cases, accompanied by a hoarse throat, diminished apatite, respiratory infections, wheezing breathing, shortness of breath with moderate exertion, difficulty concentrating, pain in the bones, and numbness of the limbs. Other symptoms include jaundice, dizziness, and diminished appetite.

Treatment for lung cancer follows several diagnostic testing. The first one is imaging tests. These are chest X-ray and CT scan. The X-ray picture is made by passing the radiation through the body then captures the result in a sensitive film.  Another imaging test is CT scan. Also known as computed tomography, CT scan work in similar manner as X-ray but takes small images then pass them for analysis under the computer. Another diagnostic test is sputum cytology. This is the test that involves cough or sputum which is analyzed under the microscope to reveal the existence of cancer cells. MRI, which stands for magnetic resonance imaging, is another diagnostic method of creating images of body structures using magnetism rather than radiation.

While there are various treatment plans, they depend on a number of factors such as the stage of the lung cancer, the overall health of the patient, and personal preferences. One of the treatment that has been used in lung cancer is surgery. This is the removal of part the lung or the whole lung which has been affected by cancer cells. According to a study conducted by Torre, Siegel and Jemal (2016), it is often the last step of cancer treatment. These include lobectomy, pneumonectomy, segmental resection, and wedge resection. Another treatment method is radiotherapy. It uses high powered energy beams from sources such as protons to kills cancer cells.  For people with advanced cancer, radiology is preferred before surgery. Another method which is commonly used is chemotherapy. This is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. A combination of drugs is used within a certain period of time to kill the cancer cells.  Chemotherapy, may be used before surgery.

The information in this case inform the practice of a master’s prepared nurse about the prevalence and risk factors about lung cancer. In doing so, a master’s prepared nurse can then design patient and community education session to educate and sensitize the public about the disease. According to the study conducted by Reckamp (2016), the stigma of cancer increases the mortality rate hence the public needs to be educated about the disease.

A master’s prepared nurse can use this information to design patient education session for someone with lung cancer by focusing on the risk factors and treatment. A study conducted by Garon et al. (2015) reveals that patients with chronic diseases require hope and assurance that their conditions are preventable and treatable. Hence, in this case, educating someone with lung cancer should focus on preventive measures such as avoiding risk factors such as smoking and areas that are polluted by cancer risk agents such as tar. Patient education should also focus on treatment methods that have been clearly demonstrated in this case.

The most important information presented in this case is the risk factors and symptoms of lung cancer. The risk factors act as precaution to the public to avoid factors and substances which may subject them to contract lung cancer. For example, cigarette smoking is one the risk factors that contributes to 85% of the disease which has been clearly mentioned in this case. Such information educates the public on what should be avoided in order to escape the disease. Another important information is symptoms of lung cancer. According to the study conducted by Reckamp (2016), lung cancer is highly treatable in its early stages. Symptoms, therefore, act as guidance or source of information for the public to go for check-up and start early medication in case they test positive. However, the most confusing information in this case is pathophysiology of lung cancer. According to Torre, Siegel and Jemal (2016), there is still a serious research gap on the pathophysiology of lung cancer.

One of the patient healthy issues is to avoid smoking or places where smokers are. Since it is one of the leading causes of the disease, exposure to cigarette smoke increases the effects of lung cancer. Another safety issues that has to be observed is diet. Fruits and vegetables offer the body antioxidants which help to fight against cancer. In this regard, the patient should choose assortments of vibrant fruits and vegetables to get the greatest benefit.