Advanced Stage Lung Cancer

Advanced stage lung cancer is a dangerous yet treatable form of the common cancer.

An advanced stage lung cancer diagnosis means that the doctors found the cancer after it had spread beyond the borders of the lung. The cancer initially began in the bronchi (air tubes of the lung) where the air sacs are. Then some of the cancer cells broke loose from the main body of cancer cells and spread through the blood stream or the lymph vessels to other parts of the body.

The cancer can spread within the lung and involve nearby tissues around the lung, such as the lining of the lungs, the rib cage, or the sac around the heart. The cancer can even spread to the other lung.

Other areas that advanced stage lung cancer can spread to include:

• the adrenal glands near the kidneys
• the spinal cord or vertebrae in the spine
• the lymph glands near the lungs
• the liver
• bones
• the brain

Two types of advanced lung cancer

There are two kinds of two types of advanced lung cancer: 1) Non-small cell cancer and 2) small cell lung cancer. The non-small cell lung cancer is further subdivided into three types:

• Adenocarcinoma, which begins in the outer aspects of the lung underneath the lining of the small air tubes. This type of cancer is most common in women and in people who are non-smokers.
• Squamous cell cancer is most commonly seen in men who smoke. It tends to form in the larger airways near the center of the lung and does no progress advanced stage lung cancer as often as other types of cancer of the lung.
• Large cell cancer begins on the furthest reaches of the lungs (nearer to the rib cage) and involves very big cells, larger than lung cells themselves.

Advanced stage lung cancer occurs when the cancer has spread out of the lungs.

In the last stages of lung cancer, you begin to have symptoms that are beyond that of cancer contained within the lungs. You may turn yellow when the cancer cells begin to grow in the liver tissue. The yellow color starts initiall in the eyes and then spreads to tinge to the skin.

You can also develop bone pain and fractures without falling.  This can be severe and debilitating.  If the cancer has spread to the bones of the vertebrae or to the spinal cord, you could become paralyzed below the neck or chest.  If the cancer spreads to the brain, you could develop symptoms of a stroke, headaches or personality changes.

What is the treatment in the final stages of lung cancer?

Treatment is difficult for advanced lung cancer and is usually focused on pain control and chemotherapy which tries to slow the growth of the tumors. Radiation can be used but is less common used because there are often many areas of advanced stage lung cancer and your doctor cannot radiate everything. He will sometimes radiate the bones to prevent the tumor from causing too much pain or a fracture.

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