Lung Cancer

Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colorectal, prostate and breast cancers combined. The main challenge lies in detecting it in the early stages, as even the best of treatment options cannot cure it in advanced stages. As per a report released by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), lung cancer is turning into an epidemic in India at an alarming rate. A high-mortality cancer, it accounts for 14.5% of all cancers in men and 8.4% in women globally. It is a leading cause of cancer death in men worldwide at 22%, which means that one in five of all cancer deaths in men occurs due to lung cancer. Lung cancer accounts for 5.9% of all new cancer cases diagnosed in India (both sexes combined), while mortality is 8.82% of all cancers combined. Lung cancer is broadly divided into small cell (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), of which the latter is far more common. Among NSCLCs, squamous cell carcinoma (cells covering tissues and organs) has been the mo...

HEBRON — Nearly a year after she was diagnosed with lung cancer, Amy Richard said she is “hanging in there.” “I’m not as strong as I was. I’ve lost some weight,” she said. “But my scans have been stable, so that’s good news. And I’m getting into some advocacy work.” Richard, 42, is a wife, mother of two young children and a nurse who works with lung cancer patients. She was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, caused by a genetic mutation, last January. A story about her plight and the support she received from the community appeared in the Sun Journal in March. Since then, Richard has continued to use a new gene-targeting therapy she battled her health insurance company over. Physically, she’s very tired, in a lot of pain, not sleeping well. “Not a fun ride,” Richard said. “I think a lot of it is just the exertion from breathing. It takes a lot out of me.” A nurse at Central Maine Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery in Lewiston, she’s working part time. Her husband, Chris, has ta...

According to the National Cancer Institute, patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) between the years 1995 and 2001 had 15 percent chance of being alive 5 years later. For patients with stage IV disease, describing cancer that has spread to distant sites beyond the original tumor, that statistic drops to 2 percent. Now a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology tells a much more optimistic story. For stage IV NSCLC patients whose tumors test positive for rearrangements of the gene ALK (ALK+ NSCLC), treated at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital between 2009 and 2017, median overall survival was 6.8 years. This means that in this population, instead of only 2 percent of patients being alive 5 years after diagnosis, 50 percent of patients were alive 6.8 years after diagnosis. "What this shows is that with the development of good targeted therapies for ALK-positive lung cancer, even patients with stage IV dis...

DERRY, N.H. , Dec. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Cancer Survivors Against Radon (CanSAR) Board member Kyle Hoylman has announced the selection of Rachael Drazan Malmberg as President of the nonprofit advocacy group. Malmberg takes over the position he has held following the loss of Elizabeth Hoffmann , the organization's founding President, due to radon-induced lung cancer. Malmberg, a 32-year-old mother and career woman who has faced sports-related challenges for many years, now faces the challenge of surviving Stage IV lung cancer so that she can be here to raise her young daughter. A healthy nonsmoker, Malmberg was shocked to learn that she had lung cancer, and angered to learn that it was caused by the radioactive gas, Radon, which exists in all buildings but can cause lung cancer when indoor levels are high. Her current home and childhood home both tested high for radon. Since her diagnosis, Malmberg has been an advocate for lung cancer awareness and particularly awarene...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Dating after a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis    Yahoo News Canada Anne Marie Cerato met her husband Patrick Bardos online after Cerato was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. Cerato says she decided to be “upfront'” about ... https://yhoo.it/2LERUKI

Lung cancer is one of the most common and deadly types of cancer, according to the NHS. Most cases of the disease are caused by smoking, although you can still develop lung cancer even if you’ve never smoked before. The cancer doesn’t usually cause any symptoms until it has spread to other parts of the body. But, there are some common warning signs you should be looking out for. Having a cough that doesn’t go away is one of the more common symptoms of lung cancer , said the American Cancer Society. You should speak to a doctor if the cough gets worse, it said. Similarly, if you cough and subsequently have a pain in your chest, you should also speak to a medical professional. Other warning signs include having a hoarse throat, and the onset of wheezing. Lung cancer could also cause some infections to keep coming back, including bronchitis and pneumonia. “Most lung cancers do not cause any symptoms until they have spread, but some people with early lung cancer do have sympt...

The following study summary is an excerpt from the book  2 Minute Medicine’s The Classics in Radiology: Summaries of Clinically Relevant & Recent Landmark Studies, 1e (The Classics Series). 1. The American College of Radiology (ACR ) developed the Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS ) to standardize reporting and management of CT  lung cancer  screenings (Table I). 2. Retrospective application of Lung-RADS criteria, notably with a higher nodule size thresholds delineating a positive screening result, resulted in an increased positive predictive value of lung cancer diagnosis in high-risk patients receiving CT lung screenings relative to National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) nodule size thresholds.   Original Date of Publication: May 2014 Study Rundown: Early in the progression of lung cancer symptoms are rare, but persistent cough, dyspnea, chest pain, and/or weight loss may be experienced in advanced forms of the disease. Most lung cancers ar...

Cancer is rapidly becoming a global concern. According to 2015 report by the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 deaths globally is due to cancer. Research findings suggest that lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer. It also has one of the highest mortality rates both in men and women. Lung cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in lungs. As more malignant cells develop, these start to spread to other parts of the body. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) are the two primary types of lung cancer. Research findings suggest that small cell lung cancer accounts for approximately 10% to 20% of all lung cancers. Small cell lung cancer is also called oat cell lung cancer. It is linked to junk food, physical inactivity, HIV infection, tobacco, chronic infections, and other hereditary family history. Decrease in active and passive smoking significantly reduces the incidence of small cell lung cancer. The common symptoms of lung cancer are blood i...

Researchers with the Francis Crick Institute- and The Institute of Cancer Research recently published research suggesting that a new class of drugs that is helpful in treating breast cancers could help treat some of the hardest-to-treat lung cancers. They published their work in the journal Cell Reports . The scientists tested drugs that block p110a, which show promise in breast cancer clinical trials, in mice who had lung cancers caused by mutations in the EGFR gene. The RAS gene is mutated in about one in five cancers, resulting in uncontrolled growth.  The team was studying the interaction between the RAS protein and p110a. They found that by blocking the interaction in the mice, the tumors shrank significantly. “At the moment, patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers are given targeted treatments that are very effective for the first few years,” stated  Julian Downward , team leader. “These drugs are improving, but unfortunately after a couple of years the cancer us...

After a close to capacity “Pearls for a Cure” luncheon benefiting American Cancer Society and lung cancer research, Roswell resident Patty Watkins shows no signs of slowing down. She will partner with ACS to host “Celebrate the Night in White” on Jan. 19. The goal of the evening is to “white out the night.” with a focus on “celebration of survivorship and new advances in lung cancer research.” White is the color of the ribbon representing lung cancer. The fundraiser event is from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at Mason Fine Art in Atlanta. “Heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages” will be served. Attendees have the opportunity to participate in live and silent auctions. Auction items include a two-night weekend stays at Atlanta Evergreen Marriott; one with a Golf Getaway and another with breakfast for Two in Waterside Restaurant. A photography session with “World Renowned” Photographer Bradford in his New York or Palm Beach location is also included in the auction. A one-night hotel stay is...

The following study summary is an excerpt from the book  2 Minute Medicine’s The Classics in Radiology: Summaries of Clinically Relevant & Recent Landmark Studies, 1e (The Classics Series). 1. The American College of Radiology (ACR ) developed the Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS ) to standardize reporting and management of CT  lung cancer  screenings (Table I). 2. Retrospective application of Lung-RADS criteria, notably with a higher nodule size thresholds delineating a positive screening result, resulted in an increased positive predictive value of lung cancer diagnosis in high-risk patients receiving CT lung screenings relative to National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) nodule size thresholds.   Original Date of Publication: May 2014 Study Rundown: Early in the progression of lung cancer symptoms are rare, but persistent cough, dyspnea, chest pain, and/or weight loss may be experienced in advanced forms of the disease. Most lung cancers ar...

Anti-PD-L1 therapy did not appear to be specifically associated with rapid tumor progression compared with chemotherapy among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer, according to an analysis of results from the phase 3 OAK trial presented at European Society for Medical Oncology Immuno-Oncology Congress. “Hyperprogressive disease, characterized by a rapid increase in tumor growth rate, has been recently reported in patients treated with checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy and requires evaluation of pretreatment tumor growth rates,” David R. Gandara, MD, director of the thoracic oncology program at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, and colleagues wrote. “Hyperprogressive disease is rare and has been associated with older age, EGFR mutation and poor OS.” Gandara and colleagues evaluated fast disease progression among patients in the OAK trial who were treated with the anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody atezolizumab (Tecentriq, Genentech) or docetaxel in the second- and third-line se...

A class of drugs used to treat certain breast cancers could help to tackle lung cancers that have become resistant to targeted therapies, suggests a new study in mice from the Francis Crick Institute and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR). The research, published in Cell Reports , found that lung tumours in mice caused by mutations in a gene called EGFR shrunk significantly when a protein called p110α was blocked. Drugs to block p110α are currently showing promise in clinical trials against certain breast cancers, so could be approved for clinical use in the near future. The new findings suggest that these drugs could potentially benefit patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers whose tumours have become resistant to treatment. "At the moment, patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers are given targeted treatments that are very effective for the first few years," explains study leader Professor Julian Downward, who has labs at the Crick and the ICR. "These drugs are im...

Erica L. Carpenter The addition of plasma next-generation sequencing to solid tissue biopsy improved detection of therapeutically targetable mutations in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer, according to results of a prospective cohort study. “This study looked at real-world, in-clinic applicability of plasma next-generation sequencing,” Erica L. Carpenter, MBA, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine at Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania and director of the Abramson Cancer Center’s Circulating Tumor Material Center, told HemOnc Today . “Ordering plasma next-generation sequencing almost doubled the yield of targetable mutations that were detected by tissue next-generation sequencing alone.” The study included 323 patients (60.1% women; median age, 65 years, range, 33-93) with metastatic NSCLC who underwent plasma next-generation sequencing using a 73-gene commercial platform (Guardant360, Guardant Health). The researchers assessed 166 p...

Transformed EGFR -mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had a mix of retained and new mutations, often responded to conventional chemotherapy, and did not respond well to immunotherapy, a multicenter retrospective study showed. The study, one of the largest of its kind, found that NSCLC transformation to SCLC or neuroendocrine tumors occurred at a median year and a half after initial diagnosis, that these transformed cancers universally retained the founder EGFR mutation, and that transformation to SCLC was associated with the emergence of several new mutations. The retrospective analysis corroborated previous evidence regarding the molecular underpinnings of transformed SCLC and provided new information about the clinical course of the disease, as reported online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology . "There is a growing appreciation that EGFR -mutant NSCLC can undergo SCLC transformation," Lecia Sequist, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston,...

LAGRANGE, Ga. - Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. You could have a tumor in your lungs and not know it. Dr. Sal Fidahussein of Wellstar Medical Group in LaGrange says his staff sees a lung cancer diagnosis every week. A flu patient and heavy smoker got the surprise of his life when he was screened. “When we did the lung cancer screening on that patient he had a six centimeter mass that he had no idea was there,” said Dr. Fidahussein. And that’s not uncommon. “Lungs are such an organ that doesn’t have any pain receptors so you can have a mass that is growing and you have no idea until it’s too late. By the time you develop symptoms it is often too late to change the disease progression.” The patient we just mentioned fortunately caught it in time. Dr. Fidahussein says lung cancer is one of those cancers that you screen for before you have symptoms, especially if you’re in the high risk group. That’s people 55 to 80 who’ve smoked 2 packs a d...

J ustice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital after undergoing surgery to remove two cancerous growths from her left lung , according to the Supreme Court. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said Ginsburg, 85, was released from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York on Tuesday and is recuperating at home. Ginsburg had a pulmonary lobectomy Friday after the nodules were discovered in her left lung in November. The growths were discovered while Ginsburg was undergoing tests after she fell and fractured three ribs. While the modules were found to be malignant, thoracic surgeon Valerie Rusch said there was “no evidence of any remaining disease” after her surgery. Nominated to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993, Ginsburg has never missed an argument. Ginsburg has had two previous bouts with cancer — in 1999 she was treated for colon cancer, and in 2009 she was treated for pancreatic cancer. https://washex.am/2LAULnQ

Health Posted at: Dec 27, 2018, 1:05 PM; last updated: Dec 27, 2018, 1:05 PM (IST) Also in this section Photo for representation only. LONDON A class of drugs used to treat certain breast cancers could help fight lung cancers that have become resistant to targeted therapies, according to a study conducted in mice. The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, found that lung tumours in mice caused by mutations in a gene called EGFR shrunk significantly when a protein called p110a was blocked. Drugs to block p110a are currently showing promise in clinical trials against certain breast cancers, so could be approved for clinical use in the near future, said researchers from the Francis Crick Institute and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in the UK. The new findings suggest that these drugs could potentially benefit patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers whose tumours have become resistant to treatment. "At the moment, patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancers are...

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from the hospital on Christmas Day following surgery for early stage lung cancer, according to a Supreme Court spokesperson. Ginsburg is now "recuperating at home," after doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital in New York performed surgery on Ginsburg to remove cancerous growths found on her left lung. The cancer was initially discovered after Ginsburg fell and fractured three ribs in November. Shortly after her surgery, Ginsburg cast a decisive vote in a 5-4 decision that blocked the Trump administration from prohibiting people from seeking asylum if they cross the border illegally. According to a press release from the Supreme Court: "According to the thoracic surgeon Valerie Rusch, both nodules removed during surgery were found to be malignant on initial pathology evaluation. Post-surgery, there was no evidence of any remaining disease. Scans performed before surgery indicated no evidence of diseas...

MaryBeth Smith says one of the hardest things to think about regarding her husband's death is that if he ventured into a blaze like the 1998 Fisherman's Wharf fire now, he would be protected. "They didn't have the proper apparatus, they didn't have enough (units)," she recalls, having lived the last six years as a single mom raising three boys. "He was breathing in everything that was there — the chemicals, the materials treating the nets, everything. If it were today, none of this would be happening." But she also has no doubt in her mind that her late husband, Gloucester firefighter Michael Smith — who contracted non-Hodgkins lymphoma and passed away six years ago due to metastatic lung cancer — died in the line of service. She has sought medical opinions from specialists at Mass General, Mount Sinai and elsewhere who all agree that Smith's cancer was directly linked to him breathing through that infamous fire. "There is no question h...

Firefighters in Montana are hoping to have health insurance cover illnesses like cancer and Post-traumatic stress disorder in the upcoming legislative session. (Photo by NBC Montana) Firefighters in Montana are hoping to have health insurance cover illnesses like cancer and Post-traumatic stress disorder in the upcoming legislative session. Montana is one of three states, Delaware and Florida are the others, where the health insurance for firefighters doesn't cover diseases proven to be contracted from fighting fires. "I didn't smoke. I didn't chew--took care of myself and to come down to lung cancer," said retired Great Falls firefighter Jason Baker. "The toxic soot we're exposed to--that's basically a house fire." Baker retired from the department in 2017, a year after being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. "We have lots of data that shows we're at such a higher rate and exposure to contracting these different forms of ...

Associated Press reports that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is already up and working despite undergoing surgery for lung cancer just 72 hours earlier. Supreme court spokesperson Kathy Arberg, said that Ginsburg remained in New York at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on Sunday, as she recuperates from the cancer surgery. AP says no information has been released on when Ginsburg might return home. It was only on Friday that the famously durable 85-year-old US supreme court justice underwent surgery to remove two malignant growths in her left lung. Doctors found no evidence of disease elsewhere in her body after the pulmonary lobectomy, and no further treatment is planned, according to an earlier court statement. READ MORE: Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been a Supreme Court Justice for 25 years — here's a look at the trailblazer's life and career Ginsburg was only just hospitalized in November after she fractured several ribs in a fall. It was while she was...