Lung cancer is grouped into two main categories: primary lung cancer and secondary lung cancer. These two types differ based upon where the lung cancer started in the body. Primary lung cancer starts in the lung and secondary lung cancer is cancer that has spread to the lungs from other organs. Primary lung cancer is further divided into two categories of lung cancer, namely small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
Large cell carcinoma is one of three type of non-small cell lung cancer. The other two types are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. These cancerous cells are grouped together because they attack the body in similar fashions.
Large cell carcinoma begins in the main branches of the trachea leading to the lungs. This lung cancer, like many others, is deeply related to smoking. When someone is diagnosed with large cell carcinoma, the cells are already rather large, hence its name. These large cancerous cells cause bleeding and serious tissue damage.
Unlike other non-small cell lung cancers, large cell carcinoma has a tendency to grow more quickly as well as spread at a more dangerous speed. Your lungs contain fluids that are constantly moving, and this allows these cancer cells to travel to other areas of the lungs with startling ease. It is important to detect the presence of large cell carcinoma early since the cancerous cells can begin to infect other areas of the body rapidly.
If you are experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, bone pain, difficulty swallowing or you're coughing up blood, you need to be examined by a doctor immediately. These are only a few examples of otherwise-subtle symptoms that patients with lung cancer will experience. These symptoms are also similar to symptoms of other cancers.
Your doctor will need to perform various tests to be able to determine exactly the type of cancer you may have as well as at to what level the cancerous cells have advanced. Large cell carcinoma can be detected from a chest x-ray. A doctor may opt to use other tests such as a CT scan or MRI scan. These tests will show where the tumor is, how big it is, and what shape it is. These tests will also allow the doctor to determine in what area a biopsy would be necessary if doing so is medically advisable.
Treatment for large cell carcinoma is usually surgery if the cancerous cells have not spread. The area of the lung that contains the tumor may be removed through surgery. If the cancer has spread, radiation and chemotherapy will need to be incorporated into your fight against this disease.
If you are a smoker that has been diagnosed with cancer, you need to contact an attorney to learn about your legal options as well as handling your medical needs. Contact an attorney today, as recent court rulings could make it easier for you to hold the tobacco companies responsible for what is often a terminal disease.