Low urgency
CommonModerately severe
Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells in lung tissue.
It may be a local growth, invading structures in the chest or may spread around the body. The main cause is smoking, influenced by the number of cigarettes and age of onset.
It manifests with coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, weight loss, wheezing when breathing and hoarseness. The majority of cases present a widespread disease when symptoms appear.
It is diagnosed by imaging tests and tissue analysis.
Treatment will vary depending on the type of cancer, how much it has spread and the patient’s baseline health status. Therapeutic options are surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, which may be administered on their own or in combination.
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Dr. Oscar Garcia-Esquirol
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