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Information on Stage Four Lung Cancer

Lng cancer is the No. 1 cancer-related cause of death in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society statistics in 2007. Early detection, as with any type of cancer, improves the possibility of remission and survival. Two types of lung cancer progress in stages: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.

  1. Deinition of Stage IV Lung Cncer

    • Each stage of lung cancer presents different characteristics that help doctors to make a diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, in Stage IV the cancer can be any size. The cancer may or may not have invaded nearby structures, such as the heart, spine, or lymph nodes. However, in stage IV lung cancer, the cancer has spread elsewhere in the body besides the lungs.

    Treatment

    • Stage IV lung cancer has no curative treatment. Chemotherapy is recommended to those patients who are strong enough to tolerate this treatment. However, chemotherapy only helps to improve the patient's quality of life and possibly provide the patient a longer rate of survival. Studies conducted by the H. Lee Moffitt Center & Research Institute have shown that patients who "fight" the disease live somewhat longer than those that refuse treatment.

    Prognosis

    • Unfortunately, patients with Stage IV lung cancer are not given a hopeful prognosis. At this stage, the cancer is incurable even with recommended treatment. The prognosis for a patient with Stage IV lung cancer is six months. Prognosis is not an accurate assessment and is merely an approximation based on past cases of those who have had the same disease in the same stage.

    Prevention

    • Stage IV lung cancer can be prevented by taking the precautions to avoid the risk factors of lung cancer in general. Some of these risk factors are controllable, such as quitting the consumption of any tobacco product,s including cigarettes, pipes and chewing tobacco. Lung cancer can also be prevented by avoiding exposure to second-hand smoke. Another risk factor that is controllable is being aware of the environment--at work and in the home--and taking precautions to avoid exposure to cancer-causing agents, such as radon or asbestos.

    Early Detection

    • Some individuals are simply prone to certain types of cancer based on family history. To avoid lung cancer progression to Stage IV, you should know their family history and watch for signs and symptoms of early stage lung cancer. These signs and symptoms include: a persistent cough that will not subside or gets worse, pain in the chest, shortness of breath, loss of appetite or loss of weight, coughing up blood, fever of unknown origin, and repeated occurrences of pneumonia and bronchitis, according to the National Cancer Institute in 2009. Although these can be symptoms of other illnesses, one should see their doctor immediately. Early detection can mean the difference between life and death.

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