Breathlessness- a Torturous Problem for Lung Cancer Survivors

Lung cancer survivors suffer further from dyspnea or shortness of breath, say scientists.

Study author Marc B. Feinstein described the prevalence and severity of dyspnea in long-term lung cancer survivors and provided specific factors associated with the condition that may help clinicians target post-treatment rehabilitation strategies.

Lung Cancer - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention
Lung cancer is a malignant tumor in the lung tissues. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer with symptoms like recurrent respiratory diseases.

Feinstein and fellow researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School surveyed 342 early-stage lung cancer survivors, who had their tumor removed within one to six years of the survey.

Within this population of cancer survivors, dypsnea was found in 205 individuals (60 percent), nearly three-fold the number of patients who presented with dyspnea before their surgery (21 percent).

Additional findings showed that factors associated with long-term dyspnea in cancer survivors included presence of dyspnea before lung cancer surgery, reduced diffusion capacity (lung's ability to transfer oxygen into the blood) and lack of physical activity.

Lung Biopsy - Indications - Procedures - Risks - FAQs - Reference
The procedure by which tissue samples are obtained from the lung is known as lung biopsy. The biopsy tissues obtained from the lungs are examined by a pathologist.

"The identification of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with dyspnea is perhaps the most significant finding," said Feinstein.

"This implies that strategies which improve physical activity or relieve depressive symptoms may results in improved breathlessness," he added.

The Lungs
The lungs are our organs of respiration. It is within these, that exchange of gases takes place.

The findings were published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

Source-ANI

Quiz on Lung Cancer
Lung cancer and smoking are closely associated. Lung cancer risk increases with the intensity of smoking. For more details, take this quiz.