Small Cell Lung Cancer Research

• Stages
• Treatment

Small cell lung cancer is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the lungs. The lungs are a pair of cone-shaped organs that take up much of the room inside the chest. The lungs bring oxygen into the body and take out carbon dioxide, which is a waste product of the body's cells. Tubes called bronchi make up the inside of the lungs.

Small cell lung cancer is usually found in people who smoke or who used to smoke cigarettes. A doctor should be seen if there are any of the following symptoms: a cough or chest pain that doesn't go away, a wheezing sound when breathing, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, hoarseness, or swelling in the face and neck.

If there are symptoms, a doctor may want to look into the bronchi through a special instrument, called a bronchoscope, that slides down the throat and into the bronchi. This test, called bronchoscopy, is usually done in the hospital. Before the test, the patient will be given a local anesthetic (a drug that causes a loss of feeling for a short period of time) in the back of the throat. Some pressure may be felt, usually with no pain.

The doctor can take cells from the walls of the bronchi tubes or cut small pieces of tissue to look at under the microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This is called a biopsy. The doctor may also use a needle to remove tissue from a place in the lung that may be hard to reach with the bronchoscope. A cut will be made in the skin and the needle will be put in between the ribs. This is called a needle aspiration biopsy. The doctor will look at the tissue under the microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. Before the test, a local anesthetic will be given to keep the patient from feeling pain.

The chance of recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment depend on the stage of the cancer (whether it is just in the lung or has spread to other places), and the patient's gender and general state of health.