Lung Cancer—Bronchial Disorders

When you breathe in, the air travels down through your trachea (windpipe). It then goes through two tubes to your lungs. These tubes are your bronchi. Bronchial disorders can make it hard for you to breathe.

The most common problem with the bronchi is bronchitis, an inflammation of the tubes. It can be acute or chronic. Other problems include

• Bronchiectasis – a condition in which damage to the airways causes them to widen and become flabby and scarred
• Exercise-induced bronchospasm – a breathing problem that happens when your airways shrink while you are exercising
• Bronchiolitis – an inflammation of the small airways that branch off from the bronchi
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia – a chronic lung condition in infants, most often premature infants

• Bronchiectasis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Bronchiolitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Bronchiolitis – discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Postural drainage (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Tracheal rupture (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: Bronchogenic carcinoma

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. It is a leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States. Cigarette smoking causes most lung cancers. The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer. High levels of pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may also increase risk.

Common symptoms of lung cancer include

• A cough that doesn’t go away and gets worse over time
• Constant chest pain
• Coughing up blood
• Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness
• Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis
• Swelling of the neck and face
• Loss of appetite or weight loss
• Fatigue

Doctors diagnose lung cancer using a physical exam, imaging, and lab tests. Treatment depends on the type, stage, and how advanced it is. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy. Targeted therapy uses substances that attack cancer cells without harming normal cells.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

• After chemotherapy – discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Coughing up blood (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lung cancer (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lung cancer – non-small cell (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lung cancer – small cell (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lung PET scan (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lung surgery (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Metastatic cancer to the lung (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Solitary pulmonary nodule (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Understanding Chemotherapy – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• What to Know about Brachytherapy (A Type of Internal Radiation Therapy) – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF
• What to Know about External Beam Radiation Therapy – NIH – Easy-to-Read (National Cancer Institute) – PDF