Saturday, April 24, 2010

Lung Cancer and Blood

One of the most important symptoms of lung cancer is coughing up blood or haemoptysis. This can sometimes happen as an early warning sign of a cancer which might still be curable. Any person who coughs up blood should observe their GP for advice immediately because the disease has to be considered, principally if the person is a smoker over the age of 40.

Some symptoms of lung cancer are caused by direct effects of the primary tumor, to effects of metastatic tumors in other areas of the body, or to troubles of hormones, blood, or other systems affected by the cancer.

If the cancer develops in the airway, it might block airflow, causing breathing troubles. This can cause accumulation of secretions behind the blockage, predisposing the patient to pneumonia. A lot of cancers of lung have a rich blood supply. The surface of the cancer might be fragile, leading to bleeding from the cancer into the airway. This blood might consequently be coughed up.

A number of cancers of the lung make hormone-like substances that increase blood calcium levels. This influences nerves and muscles, making the person suffer weak and dizzy.

Various blood tests can be done to search for lung cancer "markers"-that is, elements in the blood that are related with the presence of the disease. For instance, it may be signified by abnormalities in the following:

- PTH (parathyroid hormone)-Blood levels of PTH or PTH-related protein possibly will assist to differentiate cancer of lung from cancer of the pleura or other diseases.

- CEA (carcinogenic antigen)-a cancer-specific immune system protein that is existing in several adenocarcinomas, including lung adenocarcinoma. Increased preoperative levels of CEA typically recommend a poor prognosis. A CEA level greater than 50 might reveal advanced stage lung cancer and ought to dishearten treatment by resection.

- CYFRA21-1 (cytokeratin fragment 19)-a protein marker of cancer.

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