Thoracic cancer refers to any cancer found in organs, glands, or structures of your thoracic cavity, or chest.
The thoracic cancers include:
-
Lung cancer
-
Esophageal cancer
-
Mediastinal tumors
-
Tumors of the chest wall
-
Thymus
-
Pleural cancer
Types:
Thoracic cancer types include all cancers that appear in the chest cavity. Some of these common types
include:
- Non-small cell lung cancer– This is a dominant type of lung cancer identified in most cases.
Around 85% of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer.
- Small cell lung cancer– It occurs in 10% to 15% of the cases. This type of cancer spreads rapidly.Though the spread is not good sign, the growth helps in diagnosis.
- Mesothelioma– These are cancers in the lining tissues of the abdominal cavity.
- Other cancers– Such as breast cancer, pancreatic cancers, and cancers that originate from other parts of the body but metastasize into the thoracic cavity.
Symptoms
The symptoms of thoracic cancers depend on the tissues and the organs they affect. The symptoms
often appear late and mostly diagnosed in advanced cases only. Some of the symptoms may include:
- Persistent cough
- Cough developing in the chronic stage
- Fatigue
- Heartburn, indigestion, vomiting
- Unreasonable weight loss
- Shortness of breath and wheezing
Causes
Cancers occur due to the cellular damage of DNA. Due to the damage, the cells mutate and start
multiplying explosively. This accumulation of unwanted cells forms malignant tumors. Some biological
factors such as genes, age, and hormones contribute to cell damage causing cancer eventually.
