Overview

Small cell lung cancer is a condition in which malignant (cancer) cells grow in lung tissues. Lung cancer can be of two types: small-cell and non-small cell lung cancer. Here, the best oncologist in Kolkata discusses small cell lung cancer and its different treatment modalities.

Types

Small-cell lung cancer is divided into two types.

These two contain a wide range of cell types. Each type of cancer cell grows and spreads in a unique way. Each of the types of small cell lung cancer is named after the different types of cells present in the cancer and how they appear under a microscope:

·         Combined small-cell carcinoma

·         Small-cell carcinoma (or oat cell cancer)

oncologists in Kolkata


Risk Factors

·         Smoking pipes, cigars, or cigarettes now or in the days or years went by. This is the most significant lung cancer risk factor. The earlier a person begins smoking, the more often he/she smokes, and the longer he/she smokes, the greater his/her risk of lung cancer.

·         As a result of being exposed to passive smoking.

·         Workplace exposure to asbestos, arsenic, chromium, beryllium, nickel, soot, or ash.

·         Being in the presence of radiation.

·         Living in a place with high levels of air pollution.

·         Having a history of lung cancer in the family.

·         The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Signs and Symptoms

Check with your lung cancer doctor in Kolkata, if you experience any of these:

·         Wheezing

·         Troubled breathing

·         Chest pain and discomfort

·         Loss of appetite

·         Cough that gets worse

·         Trouble swallowing

·         Hoarseness

·         Unexpected weight loss

·         Feeling very tired

Treatment Options

If the cancer is only present in one lung and surrounding lymph nodes, surgery can be used. Since this form of lung cancer commonly affects both lungs, surgery is rarely used alone. The cancer surgeon in Kolkata would also cut lymph nodes during surgery to see whether they contain cancer. To determine the precise form of lung cancer, surgery can be used, and a sample of lung tissue is extracted.

Aside from surgery, oncologists in Kolkata use radiation therapy, chemotherapy, laser therapy, and immunotherapy for the treatment of small-cell lung cancer.