as well as to share information and experiences.
Other people take comfort in the solitude of
prayer or MEDITATION. Stress relief methods such as
YOGAand VISUALIZATIONhelp recenter the thoughts
and the mind.
Looking to the Future
Though chronic pulmonary conditions are often
limiting or debilitating, many people are able to
participate in activities they enjoy. With appropri-
ate medical care and self-care, a long and produc-
tive life is not only possible but probable for many
people who have chronic pulmonary conditions.
See also LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH; QUALITY OF LIFE.
lung abscess A pocket of INFECTIONdeep within
the lung that isolates itself within a defined area of
the lung (having a clear boundary between the
infected tissue and the healthy tissue), usually
behind a blocked segment of BRONCHUS. A lung
abscess often follows a known bacterial INFECTION
such as PNEUMONIAorBRONCHITISin which INFLAMMA-
TIONor excessive mucus blocks an airway, though
may occur without an obvious precipitating infec-
tion. A lung abscess may cause COUGH, chest dis-
comfort or PAIN, chills, bouts of profuse sweating
(diaphoresis), and difficulty BREATHING(DYSPNEA).
Chest X-RAY or COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCAN
allows the doctor to visualize the location and size
of the abscess. Cultured SPUTUMsamples often pro-
vide evidence of the infective PATHOGEN. Treatment
with ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATIONSsuccessfully eradicates
most lung abscesses. Sometimes the abscess
requires drainage, which the doctor often can do by
placing a drain through the skin. Occasionally OPEN
SURGERYis necessary to open and clean the abscess,
and to débride (trim away) damaged or dead tissue
surrounding the abscess. Most people heal com-
pletely and without complication with appropriate
treatment. An untreated lung abscess can result in
serious health consequences including significant
loss of lung tissue or SEPTICEMIA(total body infec-
tion, also called sepsis).
See also ATELECTASIS; BRONCHIECTASIS.
lung cancer Malignant tumors that grow in the
LUNGS. Lung CANCERmay be primary (originate in
the lungs) or metastatic (spread to the lungs from
cancer that originates elsewhere in the body).
There are two main types of lung cancer: small
cell lung cancer (SCLC), which is particularly
aggressive, and non–small cell lung cancer
(NSCLC). Malignant mesothelioma is a specific
kind of cancer that arises from asbestos exposure.
Cigarette smoking causes 87 percent of lung can-
cer in the United States and nearly all SCLC.
Other causes of lung cancer include exposure to
carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substances such as
radon (the second-leading cause of lung cancer)
and asbestos (which, when combined with smok-
ing, compounds the risk for lung cancer).
Doctors diagnose 175,000 people with lung
cancer in the United States each year. Lung cancer
is the leading cause of death from cancer among
men and women alike, taking the lives of 160,000
Americans each year and accounting for 30 per-
cent of all deaths from cancer. The five-year SUR-
VIVAL RATEis about 14 percent, which is very low
compared to many other kinds of cancer. A key
reason lung cancer is so frequently fatal is that it
does not show symptoms until it is quite
advanced, making treatment difficult. Doctors are
able to diagnose only 15 percent of lung cancers
when the initial tumor remains localized (con-
fined to a distinct site within the lung), a point in
time where intervention could vastly improve the
chance of survival.Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
About 80 percent of lung cancer is NSCLC. There
are three types of NSCLC:- ADENOCARCINOMA, which arises from the mucus-
secreting cells in the bronchial structures - squamous cell CARCINOMA, which arises from
the epithelial cells that form the inner lining of
the airways - large cell carcinoma, which commonly origi-
nates in the bronchi and contains neither squa-
mous cells nor adenomatous (glandular) cells
Staging and treatment protocols are the same
across the types of NSCLC. The most common
type of NSCLC is adenocarcinoma, which is mod-
erately aggressive. Large cell carcinoma, which
accounts for about 20 percent of NSCLC, tends to
be more aggressive than other NSCLC tumors and
larger and metastasized at the time of diagnosis.208 The Pulmonary System