What's the difference between lung cancer and emphysema?

Question

Never have enough air in my lungs to take a real deep breath. Could this be COPD or lung cancer?

Answer 1

Big difference: Emphysema is damage to the alveoli, the oxygen transferring areas on the lung. Lung cancer is a mass of malignant cells but do not directly affect the alveoli. Lung cancer can affect breathing by blocking the airway. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

COPD versus cancer: In emphysema the air sacs of the lung (alveoli) are damaged. The result is the lung "traps air in the damaged sacs and it becomes hard to exhale. The lung becomes over inflated. Breathing (getting oxygen in and carbon dioxide out) are progressively harder. In lung cancer a cell is damaged and can not regulate its growth, ( ie becomes cancerous) with tumor formation. Both are linked to smoking.

Answer 3

COPD: Is destructive lung disease, divided into chronic bronchitis and emphysems. It is measured by pft's: tests that determmine volumes and speed of moving air. Lung cancer is increased in people with copd, cells have gone awry, travel to other parts of the body causing death by local progression or distant metastasis. Similar cause: tobacco. Mode of death quite different.

Answer 4

Different things: Emphysema is destruction of lung tissue from (most often) smoking. Lung cancer is an abnormal growth of lung tissue that can cause destruction of many tissues, not just lung. They are completely different diseases. But, because the most common cause of lung cancer is smoking, many times patients with lung cancer have emphysema and vice versa.

Answer 5

A little bit: Traveling with lung disease can be slightly more complicated. Planning for routine medications, including oxygen takes some advanced planning. Discuss your plans with both your pulmonologist and your travel medicine specialist prior to booking the tickets. If you need oxygen while flying you need to arrange for special canisters or machines. Also plan how to mange a flare up at your destination.

Answer 6

Needs planning: Both emphysema and lung cancer reduce the lung capacity for oxygen transfer into the blood. Tests such as pft, oxygen saturation and type of cancer treatments (surgery, radiation, etc) can help assess lung function. Your doctor then optimize the medicines needed (inhalers, nebulizers, etc) and may recommend oxygen use especially if traveling by air.

Answer 7

The dirty little: Secret of lung cancer is that it causes very few symptoms in the early stages. Copd, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, have cough, shortness of breath, worse with exercise and stair climbing, and can cause blue lips and finger nails, purse lip breathing. Lunf cancer can cause "clubbed finger nails" once underway, lung cancer can cause trouble everywhere.

Answer 8

Symptoms....: Symptoms of emphysema include shortness of breath, cough which can have production of bloody sputum whether or not lung cancer is present. Other symptoms include weight loss, decreased appetite, difficulty sleeping, etc. These symptoms can also be present with lung cancer. Lung cancer cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone so see your doctor for evaluation to rule out lung cancer! and, quit smoking.

Answer 9

Cough: Emphysema typically causes breathlessness with exertion. Cancer is silent at first, but later can cause persistent cough or even coughing up blood. Chest pain that is persistent may occur. Emphysema generally doesn't cause much coughing, unlike chronic bronchitis which often occurs in combination (copd).

Answer 10

15-17%: About 15-17% of smokers develop lung cancer or emphysema. About 85% of patients with lung cancer have been exposed to significant amounts of cigarette smoke.

Answer 11

Getting and dying...: Sir richard peto the epidemiologist estimated that those who continue to smoke after age 35 have a 50% risk of dying of it...Heart, disease joins lung failure and cancer in the chest, but with each day more links to tobacco and many other cancers. My number is 14% of smokers get lung cancer. Smoking is addictive. Tobacco companies hate to admit this.Quit, never start, get help.

Answer 12

Smoking..,: The most common cause for both diseases is cigarette smoking. By either avoiding smoking or quitting if you do smoke, you reduce your chances of getting these diseases. See your doctor if you need help to quit.

Answer 13

Smoking, etc...: As noted, smoking is a critical factor: http://www.Cancer.Net/cancer-types/lung-cancer/risk-factors-and-prevention http://www.Lung.Org/lung-disease/bronchitis-chronic/understanding-chronic-bronchitis.Html.

What's the difference between lung cancer and emphysema?

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