The Lung Cancer Centers At Ctca
Because lung cancer is often diagnosed after its progressed to an advanced stage, its important to turn to a clinical team with expertise to tailor a treatment plan specific to your tumor type, stage, genomic markers and other needs. Having a team of lung cancer experts collaborating daily, all under one roof, allows us to assemble a detailed treatment plan more quickly and more efficiently.
At the Lung Cancer Centers at each of our hospitals, our cancer experts are devoted to a single missiontreating lung cancer patients with compassion and precision. This singular focus enables our oncologists to stay up to date on new and emerging treatments and technologies, allowing us to help you make informed decisions about the options available to treat not just the disease but the side effects that may result. Clinical trials in immunotherapy, cryotherapy and other areas of innovation may be among the options available.
Each patients care team is led by a medical oncologist and coordinated by a nurse, who helps keep track of the various appointments, follows up on tests and answers questions that come up along the way. Your care team also may include a surgeon, radiation oncologist, radiologist, pathologist and interventional pulmonologist with specialized training in non-invasive procedures to help preserve lung function and reduce side effects.
Expert
Treating Lung Cancer In Dogs
So you might be wondering if there is a treatment for lung cancer in dogs? While it can be challenging, there are a few options on the table. Before discussing any type of treatment though, it is best for your veterinarian to assess your dogs overall health. A successful treatment has everything to do with how healthy your dog is when going into a treatment option, and will greatly impact their overall prognosis.
Once your veterinarian has proved that your dog is fit to move forward with a treatment option, there are a few routes that your vet may take. The first treatment option for lung tumors in dogs is surgery. Your veterinarian may recommend the removal of your dogs lung tumor with an endoscopy, which would also allow them to explore the chest at the same time. Your dog must be fit for surgery and undergo this procedure with an oncologist.
The next treatment option is a combination of radiation and chemotherapy. This is a common route if your dogs cancer has spread, or if there are any areas of the tumor that your veterinarian is unable to remove. This is also a route that pet owners may take if a dog is not healthy enough to undergo surgery.
While these options have been successful in treating many dogs with lung cancer, this is a challenging condition to beat. Almost 70% of dogs with lung cancer experience metastasis to other parts of the lung, meaning treatment may only prolong their life rather than eliminating the disease completely.
Symptoms If Cancer Has Spread To Your Lymph Nodes
Lymph nodes are part of a system of tubes and glands in the body that filters body fluid and fights infection.
The most common symptom if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes is that they are usually bigger than normal. But lymph nodes also get bigger if you have an infection. So you can’t be sure of the cause of a lump until your doctor has examined you and done some tests.
Tell you doctor if you find any lumps or swollen areas, particularly in your neck or armpits.
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Recurrent Pneumonia In Left Lower Lobe Lasting For 8 Years: A Case Report
Dong-Mei Yuan1, Yan-Wen Yao1, Qian Li1, Chen-Yang Liu2, Pei Li1, E-Hong Cao1, Xin-Wu Xiao1, Xin Su1, Yong Song1
1 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jinling Hospital, Southern Medical University, Nanjing 210002, China
Correspondence to:
Abstract: Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma is a unique lung neoplasm with variable forms, such as single nodular, multifocal and lobar pneumonic types. The pneumonic type BAC is often difficult to differentiate from pneumonia. Here we present a case of 63-year-old Chinese male, who had recurrent cough, white sputum with pneumonic lesions in left lower lobe. He suffered from lung biopsies for three times, and finally diagnosed as high differentiated adenocarcinoma 8 years later. He was treated with four cycles of pemetrexed and cisplatin, and four cycles of docetaxel and nedaplatin. However, he did not achieve disease stabilization and is still under follow up. This case suggests that, pneumonic type adenocarcinoma may radiographically and clinically resemble infectious pneumonia. Lack of fever and leukocytosis, no response to antibiotics, air bronchogram, and accompanied nodules or patches in computed tomography scans should raise suspicion about the diagnosis of pneumonia. Lung biopsy might be the only means of ruling in a diagnosis of BAC.
Keywords: Pneumonic-type adenocarcinoma bronchioloalveolar carcinoma lung biopsy
Symptoms Of Lung Cancer In Dogs
Since lung cancer affects the respiratory system in our furry friends, most of the symptoms of this disease will reflect that. However, there are some other symptoms that lung cancer can cause in dogs if the disease has spread to other parts of the body.
Some of the most common signs of lung cancer include:
- Labored breathing
- Chest and abdominal pain
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When To Put Down My Dog With Lung Cancer
If your dog is diagnosed with lung cancer, you may wonder when is the right time to say goodbye. Cancer can affect each dog in a different way, making it challenging to come to this decision. To help you make an informed decision on putting your dog to sleep, let us discuss the signs of end stage lung cancer in dogs.
It may be time to put down your dog with lung cancer if they are experiencing any of the below signs:
- Labored breathing that impacts their daily life
- Frequent coughing or coughing up fluid/blood
- Respiratory distress
- Weight loss or muscle wasting
- Disinterest in activities they once enjoyed
- Fever
What Are The Symptoms Of Lung Cancer
Coughing and chest pain may be symptoms of lung cancer.
Different people have different symptoms for lung cancer. Some people have symptoms related to the lungs. Some people whose lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body have symptoms specific to that part of the body. Some people just have general symptoms of not feeling well. Most people with lung cancer dont have symptoms until the cancer is advanced. Lung cancer symptoms may include
- Coughing that gets worse or doesnt go away.
- Chest pain.
- Feeling very tired all the time.
- Weight loss with no known cause.
Other changes that can sometimes occur with lung cancer may include repeated bouts of pneumonia and swollen or enlarged lymph nodes inside the chest in the area between the lungs.
These symptoms can happen with other illnesses, too. If you have some of these symptoms, talk to your doctor, who can help find the cause.
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How Is Bacterial Pneumonia Diagnosed
Your veterinarian may suspect bacterial pneumonia based on the presence of the signs listed above, combined with the results of a physical examination, especially if abnormal lung sounds are heard when listening to your dogs chest with a stethoscope.
A series of tests may be required to confirm the diagnosis and to exclude other diseases that could be causing the symptoms, including:
- CBC and biochemistry profile. These blood tests will assess the general health of your dog, and specific blood or fecal tests may be recommended to rule out parasitic diseases such as heartworm or lungworm. Specific blood tests to rule out serious metabolic diseases may be necessary.
- Thoracic radiography . Radiographs often show characteristic changes in the lungs, and may be helpful to eliminate other types of heart or lung disease.
- Cytology using bronchoscopy. A small fiber optic camera called a bronchoscope is used to directly examine the inner surfaces of the airways in an anesthetized dog. After completing the visual examination, cytology samples can be collected for microscopic examination and for bacterial culture and sensitivity testing.
C Laboratory Tests To Monitor Response To And Adjustments In Management
The patientâs clinical status including resolution of cough and hypoxia and ability to ambulate should be monitored. Daily chemistry panels and CBCs are routinely ordered but may not be necessary if the patient is clinically improving. Repeated chest X-rays while the patient is hospitalized are only indicated if the patient has had a clinical decompensation to look for worsening infiltrate, new effusion or empyema.
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Signs Symptoms And Complications
The symptoms of a lung abscess may begin rapidly, or come on slowly and insidiously. Abscesses are described as:
- Acute: Less than 6 weeks in duration
- Chronic: Greater than 6 weeks
Early signs and symptoms may include:
- Fever and chills: A fever is often the first sign of a lung abscess, with at least 80% of people experiencing this symptom.
- Night sweats: In contrast to “hot flashes,” night sweats are often described as “drenching” and require a change of nightclothes. Sweats may also occur during the day.
- Persistent cough: At first the cough is usually dry, but may become productive , especially if an abscess ruptures into the bronchi.
Later signs and symptoms may include:
- Pain with deep breathing
- Coughing up blood : Hemoptysis is quite common with advanced lung abscesses.
- Clubbing
Supportive Care For Lung Cancer
Supportive care is about the physical, practical, emotionaland spiritual challenges of cancer. This important part of cancer care focuseson improving the quality of life of people with cancer and their loved ones,especially after treatment has ended.
Recovering from cancer and is different for everyone.It will depend on where the cancer was in your body, the stage of the cancer,the organs and tissues removed during surgery, the type of treatment and sideeffects and many other factors.
If you have been treated for lung cancer, you may have thefollowing concerns.
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Antibiotics And Lung Physiotherapy
A combination of broad-spectrum antibiotics is most often used to cover the variety of bacteria present. Depending on how ill a person is, antibiotics are often started intravenously, and continued for four weeks to six weeks or until evidence of the abscess is no longer seen on imaging studies.
With abscesses due to fungi, parasites, as well as infections with Mycobacterium, Actinomyces, or Nocardia, a longer duration of treatment may be needed, for example, up to 6 months.
Antibiotics alone lead to resolution of the abscess roughly 80% of the time, but if improvement isn’t seen, other treatments may be needed.
Lung physiotherapy and postural drainage are frequently helpful as well, and often are combined with antibiotic treatment.
Management Of Bacterial Pneumonia In The Cancer Patient
Antibiotic therapy
The value of the above diagnostic tests is contingent upon the availability of effective therapies. Because of the broad range of potential pathogens and innumerable host factors, therapeutic strategies must be directed by the patient’s immune status and exposure history, both to pathogens and antimicrobials.
Treatment should generally not be withheld while diagnostic interventions are undertaken. Delays in appropriate antimicrobial therapy increase the risk of secondary complications and infection-associated deaths in immunocompromised cancer patients, thus it is common practice to initiate empiric or pre-emptive antibiotic therapy when pneumonia is suspected . No consensus exists for the optimal time to first antibiotic dose, although one recent study suggests that neutropenic fever outcomes are better when antibiotics are delivered within 104 minutes of presentation . While the earliest possible antibiotic dosing is generally recommended, possible exceptions include when bronchoscopic evaluation is immediately available . In that case, it may be reasonable to hold empiric antibiotic therapy until completion of the brief procedure, potentially enhancing the diagnostic yield of the collected microbiologic cultures. This delay should generally be no longer than 2 h. Antibiotics should not be held for multiple hours or days in anticipation of bronchoscopy, as the harm from delaying therapy outweighs the benefits of improved test performance .
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Waiting For The School Year To End
Focusing on family obligations and her dedication to the high school seniors she was seeing through to graduation, Karen decided to put off the scan and biopsy until the end of the school year. When she finally had her scan, everyone was surprised to see shadows in her lungs. Perhaps this was more than pneumonia. It was time for a tissue biopsy.
While meeting with the medical team at her mothers memory care center, Karens cell phone rang. Because she did not recognize the number, she sent the call to voicemail. The phone rang again, but it wasnt until the third attempt from the same number that she answered.
I am so sorry. I was wrong. You have lung cancer.
Life Expectancy Of A Dog With Lung Cancer
The life expectancy of a dog with lung cancer will vary based on their overall health and the stage of the disease when it was diagnosed. Though every dog will vary, there are a few averages to expect.
If your dog is diagnosed with lung cancer due to an immediate respiratory crisis as a result of the cancer, their prognosis is poor. If a dog is experiencing any serious respiratory symptoms or decline in their health, this is often a sign that the cancer is severe or it has spread to other parts of the body. A dogs life expectancy at this point can be hours to days.
However, if a lung tumor is found incidentally and your dog is not displaying any symptoms, they may have a life expectancy of up to 1 year. If they are found to be in decent health and are a good candidate for treatment, their life expectancy can be expanded even longer.
To have the most accurate answer on your dogs prognosis, we recommend speaking with your veterinarian or oncologist.
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Do All Lung Cancer Patients Die If They Get Pneumonia
Although pneumonia can increase the risk of death among lung cancer patients, it does not mean that all people with both conditions will die. If you are receiving treatment for lung cancer and develop pneumonia, its important to stay hydrated and take care of your body to help recover from the chest infection while your cancer treatment continues.
Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
The superior vena cava is a large vein that carries blood from the head and arms down to the heart. It passes next to the upper part of the right lung and the lymph nodes inside the chest. Tumors in this area can press on the SVC, which can cause the blood to back up in the veins. This can lead to swelling in the face, neck, arms, and upper chest . It can also cause headaches, dizziness, and a change in consciousness if it affects the brain. While SVC syndrome can develop gradually over time, in some cases it can become life-threatening, and needs to be treated right away.
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Three Factors In Coronavirus Lung Damage
Galiatsatos notes three factors that affect the lung damage risk in COVID-19 infections and how likely the person is to recover and regain lung function:
Disease severity. The first is the severity of the coronavirus infection itself whether the person has a mild case, or a severe one, Galiatsatos says. Milder cases are less likely to cause lasting scars in the lung tissue.
Health conditions. Galiatsatos says, The second is whether there are existing health problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart disease that can raise the risk for severe disease. Older people are also more vulnerable for a severe case of COVID-19. Their lung tissues may be less elastic, and they may have weakened immunity because of advanced age.
Treatment. Treatment is the third factor, he says. A patients recovery and long-term lung health is going to depend on what kind of care they get, and how quickly. Timely support in the hospital for severely ill patients can minimize lung damage.
What Is The Treatment For Bacterial Pneumonia
The appropriate antibiotic treatment is determined by the results of the culture and sensitivity tests. These tests identify the specific bacterial species causing the infection and which type of antibiotics will combat this infection. Since the results of culture and sensitivity testing will not be available immediately, your veterinarian may begin treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic, such as doxycycline or amoxicillin, while awaiting the test results. It may be necessary to change the medication once the results are available. Your veterinarian will choose the appropriate antibiotics for your dog’s particular situation.
“Medications may be required for a prolonged period of time, depending on the specific type of infection and the seriousness of the condition.”
If your dog has respiratory distress or is dehydrated or anorexic , hospitalization for oxygen therapy and/or intravenous fluids and medications may be necessary.
If your dog is stable enough to be treated as an outpatient, your veterinarian may also prescribe bronchodilators, expectorants, or other medications to control specific symptoms. Medications may be required for a prolonged period of time, depending on the specific type of infection and the seriousness of the condition.
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