Lung Cancer Misdiagnosis
Lung
cancer is the second most
common form of cancer after
skin cancer and is becoming
one of the biggest health
threats facing the world.
Annually, nearly 170,000
men and women are diagnosed
with the disease. It is
the most common form of
cancer found in both women
and men. New research indicates
that the rise in lung cancer
among women may be due
to an increase in smoking.
Have you become
a victim of Lung Cancer Misdiagnosis?
You may have a legal claim. Contact
us for a free consolation
on your Lung Cancer Misdiagnosis
today!
People
over the age of 50 are at an
increased risk of lung cancer.
According to the American Cancer
Society, tobacco use causes
more than 80 percent of all
lung cancers because cigarettes,
cigars and other tobacco products
contain many dangerous carcinogens.
Other causes include inhalation
of asbestos and radon, among
other chemicals and pollutants
including arsenic, chromium,
silica and beryllium. People
with a history of tuberculosis
and other lung diseases, including
emphysema and asthma, have
an increased risk of developing
lung cancer.
Smokers, former smokers and those exposed to second-hand
smoke over the course of many years are also at greater
risk, but smokers can lower their risk by quitting.
There are four types of lung cancer:
- Small lung cancer, sometimes called oat cell
cancer, accounts for about 20 to 25 percent of
all lung cancer cases. It is found predominantly
in people who are heavy smokers and most often
develops in the bronchial submucosa. This form
of lung cancer spreads rapidly and is more likely
to metastasize than the other three forms of lung
cancer.
- Squamous cell carcinoma, also called epidermoid
cancer, makes up 25 to 30 percent of all lung cancer
cases and is the most common form of lung cancer.
It often begins in the bronchi and may remain in
the lungs without spreading for a longer period
of time than the other forms of lung cancer.
- Adenocarcinoma is a form of lung cancer with
cancerous cells shaped as cubes or columns, which
usually grow in patterns in the glands, along the
tissue that lines the bronchi and along the outer
edges of the lungs. It makes up 25 to 30 percent
of all lung cancer cases.
- Large cell carcinoma is the rarest form of lung
cancer, making up approximately 10 to 20 percent
of cases. It is found most often in the bronchi
and is made up of cancer cells that are not small
lung cancer, squamous, or adenocarcinoma.
Have you become a victim of Lung Cancer
Misdiagnosis? You may have a legal claim. Contact
us for a free consolation on your Lung Cancer Misdiagnosis
today!
Symptoms
of lung cancer often include:
- Coughing /wheezing
- Bloody sputum
- Chest pain/ pain when breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Pneumonia
- Hoarseness
- Difficulty swallowing
- Swelling of neck, face and upper extremities
- Weakness and pain in the shoulder, arm and hand
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Headaches
- Weakness
- Behavioral changes
- Speech problems
- Memory lapses
- Pain in other body parts
- Bone fractures
- Jaundice
- Blood clots
To
diagnose lung cancer, a physician looks for enlargement
of the lymph nodes, liver and abdomen, and for
other symptoms of a lung mass. A complete diagnosis
requires a chest x-ray to look for growths, an
asputum test, involving coughing up phlegm, for
lung cancer cell detection, and a spirometry, which
tests a patient's pulmonary function to determine
if there is an obstruction or narrowing of the
airways. A diagnosis of lung cancer may include
a biopsy, of which there are two kinds, bronchoscopy
and percutaneous needle biopsy, for tissue examination.
Bronchoscopy involves insertion of a bronchoscope,
a flexible lighted tube, into the patient's mouth
or nose and guiding it to the bronchi. A percutaneous
needle biopsy involves inserting a needle into
the lung through the skin. After a lung cancer
diagnosis is made, a doctor will determine the
stage of the cancer in order to establish the proper
course of treatment. Staging the cancer usually
involves use of computerized tomography, bone scans
and pulmonary angiography. Unfortunately, standard
lung cancer treatments available, including surgery,
radiation and chemotherapy, have limited success
rates, and thus patients are often encouraged to
participate in clinical trials which may provide
them with better chances of survival.
Have you become a victim of Lung Cancer
Misdiagnosis? You may have a legal claim. Contact
us for a free consolation on your Lung Cancer Misdiagnosis
today!
To
get more information on lung cancer symptoms, diagnostic
methods, treatments available, physicians and hospitals,
please visit
our links page.
Read
article on Negligence of Residents in Hospitals
Michael Gunzburg is a New
York Lung Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney serving
the New York Metropolitan area, including New York City, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens,
Staten Island, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland
and Orange County. |
