Small-celled cancer of a lung
Contents:
Description:
Small-celled cancer — extremely malignant tumor with an aggressive clinical current and widespread innidiation. This form makes 20 — 25% of all types of lung cancer. Some researchers regard it as a system disease at which there are almost always metastasises in regional and extrathoracic lymph nodes already at initial stages.
Symptoms of Small-celled cancer of lung:
The central small-celled cancer is followed by cough, short wind, a stridor, a pneumorrhagia, stethalgias, an obstructive pneumonitis. Usually the mediastinum is involved in process, and the syndrome of an upper vena cava, paralysis of a guttural nerve and a dysphagy develop. Various clinical displays of this cancer can include: a syndrome of inappropriate secretion of vasopressin, an ectopic syndrome of Cushing, Eaton's syndrome — Lambert or a syndrome, similar myasthenic. The symptomatology can be also caused by metastasises in the central nervous system, bones, a liver and other bodies.
Reasons of Small-celled cancer of lung:
Among patients men prevail, but the percent of the struck women increases: 20 years ago the attitude of sick men towards women made 10:1, and now 2:1. Etiological communication of this cancer with smoking is emphasized. Most of patients suffer because of rapid growth of a tumor and eurysynusic metastasises from a severe form of a disease.
Treatment of Small-celled cancer of lung:
In treatment of small-celled cancer of lung the important place is taken by chemotherapy. For lack of treatment a half of patients dies in 6-17 weeks after diagnosis. The polychemotherapy allows to increase this indicator to 40-70 weeks. It is used both as an independent method, and in combination with operation or radiation therapy.
The treatment purpose - to achieve full remission which has to be confirmed with bronchoscopic methods, including a biopsy and bronchoalveolar lavage. Efficiency of treatment is estimated in 6-12 weeks after its beginning. By these results it is already possible to predict probability of treatment and life expectancy of the patient. The most favorable forecast at those patients at whom during this time it was succeeded to reach full remission. All patients whose life expectancy exceeds 3 years treat this group. If the mass of a tumor decreased more than by 50% and there are no metastasises, speak about partial remission. Life expectancy of such patients is less, than in the first group. If the tumor does not respond to treatment or progresses, the forecast adverse.
