lung cancer,
J
In Memory of Karen Parles
After an eleven year struggle with non-small cell lung cancer, Karen
Parles died of complications of her illness in the early morning hours of
February 16, 2009. She dedicated her life and her energies to the well
being of her family and friends, and to improving the quality of care and
information provided to people living with lung cancer. Upon Karen�s
diagnosis in 1998, lung cancer was a stigmatized disease, and her children
were eight and seven years old. Patients were treated largely as orphans
by the establishments that allocated resources to care, research and
outreach. Celebrities only died of cancer, never of lung cancer. Karen
harnessed her outrage over this state of affairs to drag forward the
leading edge of change. She started this website, joined support and
advocacy groups, served on national and local committees with leading lung
cancer specialists, coauthored 100 Questions and Answers About Lung
Cancer, and directly answered the questions of thousands of patients
across the globe regarding issues related to living with lung cancer. For
her efforts she was awarded a Bicentennial Medal by Williams College, her
alma mater, and the Catherine Logan Award for Service to Survivorship by
the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Her greatest reward,
however, was living long enough with lung cancer to see her efforts bear
fruit. Lung cancer patients now receive greater respect as well as more
and better information about their illness, lung cancer research is more
appropriately funded, celebrity deaths are now attributed to �lung
cancer�, and her children are now adults.
A CaringBridge site in memory of Karen has been created to enable friends
and family to stay connected.
Symptoms, Side Effects & Complications
allergic reactions � anemia � arthralgias � blood clots � bronchorrhea
(increased sputum) �cardiotoxicity � constipation � depression � diarrhea
� extravasation � eye (ocular) changes � fatigue � fever � hair loss �
hand-foot syndrome � hemoptysis (bloody sputum) � hypertension � lung
collapse � mucositis � nausea & vomiting � neoplastic & paraneoplastic
syndromes � neutropenia � nutritional problems � oral complications � pain
� peripheral neuropathy � pleural & pericardial effusions � sexuality &
reproductive effects � shortness of breath � skin problems � spinal cord
compression � vocal cord paralysis
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/lung_cancer/page3_em.htm
Lung Cancer Symptoms
Up to one-fourth of all people with lung cancer may have no symptoms when
the cancer is diagnosed. These cancers usually are identified incidentally
when a chest x-ray is performed for another reason. The majority of
people, however, develop symptoms. The symptoms are due to direct effects
of the primary tumor, to effects of metastatic tumors in other parts of
the body, or to disturbances of hormones, blood, or other systems caused
by the cancer.
Symptoms of primary lung cancers include cough, coughing up blood, chest
pain, and shortness of breath.
* A new cough in a smoker or a former smoker should raise concern for
lung cancer.
* A cough that does not go away or gets worse over time should be
evaluated by a health-care provider.
* Coughing up blood (hemoptysis) occurs in a significant number of
people who have lung cancer. Any amount of coughed-up blood is cause for
concern.
* Chest pain is a symptom in about one-fourth of people with lung
cancer. The pain is dull, aching, and persistent and may involve other
structures surrounding the lung.
* Shortness of breath usually results from a blockage to the flow of
air in part of the lung, collection of fluid around the lung (pleural
effusion), or the spread of tumor throughout the lungs.
* Wheezing or hoarseness may signal blockage or inflammation in the
lungs that may go along with cancer.
* Repeated respiratory infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia,
can be a sign of lung cancer.
Symptoms of metastatic lung tumors depend on the location and size. About
30%-40% of people with lung cancer have some symptoms or signs of
metastatic disease.
* Lung cancer most often spreads to the liver, the adrenal glands, the
bones, and the brain.
* Metastatic lung cancer in the liver usually does not cause symptoms,
at least by the time of diagnosis.
* Metastatic lung cancer in the adrenal glands also typically causes
no symptoms by the time of diagnosis.
* Metastasis to the bones is most common with small cell cancers but
also occurs with other lung cancer types. Lung cancer that has
metastasized to the bone causes bone pain, usually in the backbone
(vertebrae), the thighbones, and the ribs.
* Lung cancer that spreads to the brain can cause difficulties with
vision, weakness on one side of the body, and/or seizures.
Paraneoplastic syndromes are the remote, indirect effects of cancer not
related to direct invasion of an organ by tumor cells. Often they are
caused by chemicals released from the cancers. Symptoms include the
following:
* clubbing of fingers-the depositing of extra tissue under the
fingernails
* new bone formation-along the lower legs or arms
* anemia-low numbers of red blood cells and high calcium level or low
sodium level in the blood
* other effects-muscle weakness, skin rashes, and degeneration of the
brain
* weight loss
* fatigue
* low sodium levels
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