Lung cancer awareness month
01/11/2005
May I thank you for the way my accident claim has been handled, after my accident my confidence was very low indeed but the sympathetic handling of my case restored my confidence.
John, SheffieldNovember is lung cancer awareness month, which is run jointly by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Relief.
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK. Nine out of ten lung cancers are caused by smoking, but exposure to certain gases and chemicals account for the remaining 10%.
Exposure to asbestos, radon gas, uranium, nickel, and chromium all contribute to the development of lung cancer. Long term occupational exposure may increase the risk of developing lung cancer by up to 47%. (Cancer UK.)
Mesothelioma is a different type of cancer that affects the covering of the lung - the pleura. It is often caused by exposure to asbestos.
The current best estimate of the proportion of cancer deaths in Great Britain due to occupational exposures over the last few decades is 4%. (Statistic from the Health and Safety Executive.)
There are two main types of lung cancer - small cell lung cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.
What is lung cancer?
Small cell lung cancer
About 20 out of every 100 lung cancers diagnosed are this type. Small cell lung cancer is so called because the cancer cells are small cells that are mostly filled with the nucleus (the control centre of cells). It is sometimes also called 'oat cell' cancer. This type of cancer is usually always caused by smoking. It is very rare for someone who has never smoked to develop it. Small cell lung cancer often spreads quite early on and so doctors often suggest treatment with chemotherapy rather than surgery.
Non-small cell lung cancer
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Adenocarcinoma
- Large cell carcinoma
Squamous cell cancer is the commonest type of lung cancer. It develops from the cells that line the airways and you often find it near the centre of the lung in one of the main airways (the left or right bronchus). This type of cancer is often due to smoking. The incidence of squamous cell cancer is going down in the UK.
Adenocarcinoma also develops from the cells that line the airways. But it develops from a particular type of cell that produces mucus. You often find it in the outer regions of the lungs. The incidence of adenocarcinoma is increasing and it may soon become more common in the UK than squamous cell lung cancer.
Large cell lung cancer is called this because the cells look large and rounded when they are looked at under a microscope. This type of lung cancer tends to grow quite quickly.
Cancer that has spread to the lungs
Secondary cancer is cancer that has spread from somewhere else in the body. There are quite a few different cancers that can spread to the lungs, including breast cancer and bowel cancer.
Mesothelioma
Another rare type of cancer called mesothelioma affects the covering of the lung (the pleura).
It is often caused by exposure to asbestos.
The tissues lining the lungs are called the pleura. There are two pleura, also called pleural membranes. The gap between them is called the pleural space. The pleura are fibrous sheets. They help to protect the lungs. They produce a lubricating fluid that fills the gap between the two pleura. This helps the lungs to move smoothly in the chest when they are inflating and deflating as we breathe.
Mesothelioma is most often diagnosed in the pleura. This is known as pleural mesothelioma. Because it is so close, pleural mesothelioma can also affect the sheet of tissue covering the heart - the pericardium. Doctors call the pericardium the lining, although it is on the outside of the heart. It protects the heart and allows it to move smoothly within the sac that surrounds it. So it does much the same job for the heart as the pleura do for the lungs.
Information taken from the Cancer UK website
James' Story - asbestos related mesothelioma
James worked for British Rail as an engineer, lagging steam engines with asbestos. As such he came into contact with asbestos on a daily basis. He was also responsible for the maintenance of the engines, and as steam engines were phased out he stripped the engines, which were lagged with asbestos. There was no extraction unit, and workers were not given any protective clothing. As such, James was regularly exposed to high levels of asbestos. James sadly died in 2004 after developing mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer.
Specialist industrial disease solicitor Gina Heather handled James' industrial disease claim.
Marie's story - mesothelioma misdiagnosis
Marie, in her early forties, had been suffering from lung problems for a number of years. She had great difficulty breathing, and couldn't work because of this. She was also losing weight rapidly.
After various hospital visits Marie was sent for a lung biopsy. Doctors found no evidence of lung cancer, and Marie was told that she probably did not have lung cancer, but more samples were sent away for further testing.
Marie's condition continued to deteriorate after the operation.
At her next meeting with the consultant to discuss the test results, Marie was told she did have mesothelioma. She was told that it was not treatable and told she had only six months to live.
She underwent a course of radiotherapy. After this her condition deteriorated, and she was not able to do much. Her husband looked after her during this time.
Marie sadly died a few weeks later.
However, after a post-mortem had been carried out it showed that Marie did not have mesothelioma. It said she died of natural causes. No sign of any tumours were found.
The names in these case studies have been anonymised
More information and support:
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
The Foundation has four main areas of activity: lung cancer research; lung cancer prevention; support for those affected by lung cancer; informing and educating on lung cancer issues.
Email: glasgows@roycastle.liv.ac.uk
www.roycastle.org
Freephone Helpline: 0800 358 7200
The Roy Castle Patient Care Network
The foundation has a patient support network, and 23 lung cancer patient groups meet monthly all over the UK.
www.roycastle.org/patientnetwork/
Macmillan Cancer Relief
0808 808 2020 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) www.macmillan.org.uk.
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