Cancer

Articles

New research presented at the virtual European Respiratory Society International Congress showed "social smokers" are more than twice as likely to die of lung disease vs non-smokers. 

“Social Smoking” Linked to Disproportionately High Risk of Death from Lung Disease, Lung Cancer

The proposed recommendations will allow more women and black patients to be eligible for lung cancer screening.

USPSTF: New Lung Cancer Screening Recommendations Will Double Number of Eligible Patients

Nicotine amounts aren't constant among cigar brands Even smokers of the same brand may be exposed to varying doses of nicotine and other smoke constituents.

 Sometimes It Is Just a Cigar, But the Nicotine?

Infections with pneumonia send a substantial number of older adults to the hospital, much more than younger adults. Researchers are calling for new rapid diagnostic tests.

Pneumonia Hits Older Adults Hardest

I was “foggy” on when and how to apply screens for lung cancer with low-dose CT, but a perfect model for a 3-question template provided answers.

Lung Cancer Screening: 3 Questions You Were Afraid to Ask

Congestive heart failure and cirrhosis are the most common causes of transudative pleural effusions, while pneumonia and malignancy are responsible for the majority of exudative effusions. Plain chest films are valuable in confirming the presence of an effusion, providing clues to the cause, and directing the method of pleural fluid sampling. Thoracentesis is safe and simple, and it is diagnostic in about 75% of cases. Pleural biopsy is indicated for unexplained exudative effusions, most of which are found to result from malignancy or tuberculosis. Medical thoracoscopy, if available, is the procedure of choice for patients with these effusions. Thoracoscopy permits visually directed pleural biopsies and allows for therapeutic intervention at the time of diagnosis, obviating the need for subsequent invasive procedures.

Pleural Effusion

A 57-year-old man requests an extensive medical evaluation as part of a transition in the ownership of his business. He is generally healthy, although he reports that his capacity for physical exertion has diminished over the past several years. He denies chest pain with effort, dyspnea at night or on exertion, cough, and sputum production.

Asymptomatic Smoker Who Requests Lung Cancer Screening

abstract: Hemoptysis has many causes, including bronchiectasis, lung cancer, and bronchitis. The initial goals of the history and physical examination are to differentiate hemoptysis from epistaxis and hematemesis and then to establish its severity. A variety of signs and symptoms may suggest the underlying cause. For example, hematuria suggests vasculitis or an immunologically mediated disease, such as Wegener granulomatosis or systemic lupus erythematosus. The workup includes chest radiography and measurement of hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, platelet count, international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, and creatinine level. Chest CT scanning often identifies sources of bleeding that are not apparent on radiographs and sometimes can be used in conjunction with bronchoscopy. Patients with massive hemoptysis should be hospitalized for rapid evaluation and intervention; treatment may include interventional bronchoscopy, angiography, or embolization. (J Respir Dis. 2007;28(4):139-148)

How to quickly zero in on the diagnosis   Hemoptysis: A review of causes,  evaluation, and treatment  key words: Hemoptysis, Bronchoscopy, Embolization

A 57-year-old woman presents with swelling of the hands that began several weeks earlier and is now worsening. She denies joint pain, and she has no history of trauma or significant vascular disease. She has had pneumonia several times; each episode was successfully treated with antibiotics. She has smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day for the past 20 years

Upper Extremity Swelling in a Smoker

A 59-year-old woman was evaluated for epigastric discomfort and iron deficiency anemia of 2 months' duration. Two years earlier, she had undergone left upper lung lobectomy and adjuvant radiation for T2 N0 M0 poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung.