Lung Cancer Care at Levine Cancer
With more options to treat lung cancer than ever before, it’s crucial to find the one that’s right for you. At Atrium Health Levine Cancer, our lung cancer specialists have expertise in the latest research to provide you with a treatment plan that can prolong your life and improve your chance of recovery.
With more than 25 locations across North Carolina and South Carolina, Levine Cancer gives you access to comprehensive care close to home, including lung cancer screenings, advanced treatments, clinical trials and supportive care.
About Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the second most common cause of cancer affecting both men and women. It’s crucial to know about lung cancer symptoms, risk factors and what lung cancer treatment options are available.
Although lung cancer primarily affects older adults, it can happen at any age. This is why lung cancer screening is so important. Early detection can save lives.
Our multiskilled team at Levine Cancer Center is committed to helping you navigate and understand lung cancer symptoms and treatment options. We offer some of the most industry-leading prevention and early detection tools available and have a full range of treatments that can be tailored to your unique needs.
What is the First Stage of Lung Cancer?
Stage 0 is the first stage of lung cancer. At this stage, abnormal cells are found only in the top layers of cells lining the lung or airways. Because lung cancer symptoms are often not present until much later, a diagnosis this early is rare.
What About Other Stages of Lung Cancer?
Each stage of lung cancer is determined by the size of the tumor. Stage 0 has no invasion into deeper tissues, but other stages, including stage 4 lung cancer, are much more aggressive.
- Stage 0: Abnormal cells are found only in the top layers of cells lining the lung or airways.
- Stage 1: The tumor is less than 4 cm and is only in the lung.
- Stage 2: The tumor could be up to 5 cm and has spread to nearby lymph nodes.
- Stage 3: The cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the center of the chest or invaded nearby structures. While stage 3A may still be operable, stage 3B/C is often inoperable depending on how extensively it has spread.
- Stage 4: Cancer has spread to distant organs. Prolonging and improving quality of life is the primary focus.
What Stage is Lung Cancer Usually Found?
Lung cancer is often diagnosed at stage 4 when the cancer has spread to distant organs like the brain, bones or liver.
Regular screenings, especially for those who are currently or have smoked, can increase your chances of catching lung cancer early. Anyone who feels they are at high risk should talk to their doctor about getting screened.
What are the Most Common Types of Lung Cancer?
Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer are the most common types of lung cancer. Both begin in the lung tissue and share the same symptoms.
Small cell lung cancer accounts for roughly 15% of lung cancer cases and is usually found in smokers. Recurrence is common with this type of cancer. NSCLC can often have a better prognosis if caught early.
What is Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)?
Nonsmall cell lung cancer makes up about 85% of cases. It tends to spread slowly, and the symptoms and risk factors are the same as small cell lung cancer. Nonsmall cell lung cancer can be divided into three main types:
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Adenocarcinoma: This is the most common type of lung cancer found in nonsmokers, but it can be found in smokers too. It begins in the outer parts of the lungs.
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Squamous cell carcinoma: This is strongly linked to smoking and begins in the central airways. It is more common in men than women.
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Large cell carcinoma: This can appear anywhere in the lungs and tends to spread quickly. It is less common and linked to exposure to things such as smoke, asbestos, radon and air pollution.
Lung Cancer Symptoms
The most common symptoms of lung cancer include:
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing, especially coughing up blood
- Hoarseness or wheezing
- Chest pain
- Recurrent infections like bronchitis or pneumonia
- Fatigue or weakness
- Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
Because early signs of lung cancer are rare, the cancer is usually more advanced by the time these symptoms appear.
Causes of Lung Cancer
Tobacco use is the primary cause of lung cancer. This includes smoking cigars, cigarettes and pipes. If you need help to quit smoking, talk to your primary care doctor about tobacco cessation programs and classes.
Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. It’s a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in soil and rocks, and the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. Those exposed to secondhand smoke are also at risk of developing lung cancer.
Other risk factors include air pollution and exposure to arsenic, silica, diesel exhaust, asbestos and chromium.
What is Life Expectancy with Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., but advances in both screening and treatment are making big strides to change that. The prognosis and treatment for lung cancer depends on each patient and the type and stage of lung cancer.
Lung Cancer Survival Rates by Stage
The American Cancer Society reports that the five-year survival rate for lung cancer depends on when the cancer is detected:
- Localized (cancer confined to the lungs): 67%
- Regional (spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissues): 40%
- Distant (spread to other organs): 12%
Most lung cancers are diagnosed at a distant stage, but early detection through screening can improve outcomes.
Lung Cancer Screening
Early detection is crucial to catch lung cancer early. We encourage everyone at a high risk of developing lung cancer to get screened. A low-dose CT scan can detect even the smallest tumors.
Who Should Get Screened?
People with a history of cigarette smoking should get screened regularly, as they face a higher risk of developing lung cancer. The National Lung Screening Trial findings recommend lung cancer screenings for:
- Current smokers with a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years (such as one pack per day for 20 years or two packs per day for 10 years).
- Former smokers with at least a 20 pack-year smoking history who have quit within the last 15 years.
- People between the ages of 50 and 77.
Learn more about lung screenings and how to schedule today.
Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Deciding on an appropriate treatment plan for lung cancer begins with an accurate diagnosis. Our in-house lab provides results quickly so we can promptly identify the stage of your cancer – and our specialization in molecular (biomarker) testing allows us to identify exact cancer mutations to help us choose the best lung cancer treatment for you.
Other diagnostic approaches include:
- Imaging scans, including CT, MRI, PET and PET-CT
- Biopsies using minimally invasive techniques
Advanced Lung Cancer Treatments, Right Here
Depending on the diagnosis and stage of lung cancer, we’ll design a treatment plan that takes advantage of the most effective and least invasive approaches available.
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Advanced surgical options:
- Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery. This state-of-the-art technique is less invasive than open surgery, while reducing pain, complications and length of hospital stay. We are proud to have been the first provider performing these types of surgeries in the greater Charlotte region and have the most experienced team in the region to care for you.
- Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Your surgeon inserts a thin, lighted tube attached to a small camera through tiny incisions in the chest. This allows them to evaluate and treat your lung tumor in a minimally invasive way.
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Innovative medical treatment options:
- Chemotherapy. We offer the latest chemotherapy agents to destroy cancer cells, and it's now designed to produce fewer toxic side effects.
- Radiation therapy. New radiation therapy techniques, such as proton beam therapy, precisely target cancer cells with high-energy beams and with minimal damage to healthy tissue.
- Targeted therapy. Anti-cancer drugs can slow or stop the growth of tumors by turning certain genes on or off.
- Immunotherapy. These innovative therapies use the body’s own immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells.
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