Small Cell Lung Cancer Symptoms

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is type of lung cancer that is an aggressive type of carcinoma. Small cell lung cancer progresses much faster than slow growing non small cell lung cancers. Small cell lung cancer is also known as 'oat cell carcinoma' or 'small cell undifferentiated carcinoma'. The following paragraphs contain information that will help you know more its symptoms, causes and treatment.

What is Small Cell Lung Cancer
Small cell lung cancer is a cancer of the lung that begins in the bronchi. This is a very fast spreading cancer, that can even spread to the brain if not caught early. The small cell lung cancer disease is often due to smoking. It is therefore seen commonly in men rather than women. The symptoms are referred to as paraneoplastic syndrome. This means, the symptoms of this cancer are due to the secretion of hormones by the tumor or due to the immune response to the presence of tumor.

The small cell lung cancer staging is not carried out like other cancers. The small cell lung cancer stages are classified as 'extensive small cell lung cancer' and 'limited small cell lung cancer'. The extensive stage refers to the spread of cancer to other areas in the body, outside the chest cavity. Limited stage is the stage where the cancer is still contained within the lungs or bronchial tubes. Limited stage cancer is a bit rare as it is not diagnosed often. The cancer is often diagnosed only after it turns into the extensive stage.

Types of Small Cell Lung Cancer
There are two types of lung cancers; small cell lung cancer and non small cell lung cancer. Of these, there are three types of small cell lung cancers that are named according to the kind of cells found in the cancer and the way they are observed under a microscope. These types of small cell lung cancer diseases are as follows:

• Small cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer)
• Mixed small cell or large cell carcinoma
• Combined small cell carcinoma

Causes
Small cell lung cancer makes up about 15% of all lung cancers. The most common of all small cell lung cancer causes is due to smoking cigarettes, pipes or cigars. It is very rare to observe small cell lung cancer in people who never smoke. Long term exposure to second hand smoke can also cause small cell lung cancer. Another of small cell lung cancer causes includes high level of asbestos or radon exposure.

Symptoms
Some of the symptoms to identify this disease are as follows;

• Persistent cough
• Hemoptysis (coughing up blood)
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness
• Recurrent lung infections of pneumonia or bronchitis
• Swelling in face and neck
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Chest pain
• Loss of appetite
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Low sodium levels in blood
• Loss of coordination
• Difficulty in speaking due to paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration
• Muscle weakness seen in upper arms
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Clubbing or rounding of fingernails

When the disease spreads to other parts of the body, the symptoms will be seen depending on the area affected. When it spreads to the bone, it causes back pain, hip pain and rib pain. When it spreads to the brain, it causes headaches, vision changes, weakness, seizures.

Treatment
The small cell lung cancer treatment consists of chemotherapy as well as radiation therapy. However, for many patients the small cell lung cancer treatment does not help cure the cancer. The small cell lung cancer in limited stage is more easy to treat than the extensive stage. As the disease progresses, the cancer becomes more resistant to the treatment. Surgery is never an option with small cell lung cancer as only less than 20% cases have cancer that has not metastasized to other lymph nodes or organs.

Prognosis
The small cell lung cancer prognosis is poor. The small cell lung cancer survival rate is less than 6%. In case of limited stage, the survival rate in 16 to 24 months with radiation therapy. The survival rate for 5 years is just 14% that too with treatment.

In case of extensive stage, the prognosis is not very bright. The survival rate is about 6 to 12 months with treatment. The small cell lung cancer life expectancy without treatment is only 2 to 4 months. This was all about small cell lung cancer symptoms. People who are chronic smokers or had been smoking in past, should get themselves regularly checked for any signs of lung cancer. If experiencing persistent cough, recurring infections, fatigue or bloody sputum, speak to a health care provider immediately. Small cell lung cancer caught in the early stage has better prognosis than the extensive stage.

Disclaimer
The information in this article is intended as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, the expert and professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a healthcare professional. The reader is advised to consult with a medical consultant before taking any home remedies, supplements or following any treatment advised. A medical consultant will be able to provide the reader with advice that is safe and effective for an individual's specific needs and diagnose a particular health problem based on their personal medical history.