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11109 Parkview Plaza Drive
Entrance 1
Fort Wayne, IN 46845
(260) 266-1000
11050 Parkview Circle
Entrance 12
11108 Parkview Circle
Entrance 10
(260) 266-2000
Parkview Regional Medical Center Campus
11130 Parkview Circle Drive, Entrance 7
11115 Parkview Plaza Drive
(260) 672-6100
2200 Randallia Drive
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
(260) 373-4000
1720 Beacon Street
(260) 373-7500
1316 E. 7th Street
Auburn, IN 46706
(260) 925-4600
2001 Stults Road
Huntington, IN 46750
(260) 355-3000
207 North Townline Road
LaGrange, IN 46761
(260) 463-9000
401 Sawyer Road
Kendallville, IN 46755
(260) 347-8700
10 John Kissinger Drive
Wabash, IN 46992
(260) 563-3131
1260 East State Road 205
Columbia City, IN 46725
(260) 248-9000
1355 Mariners Drive
Warsaw, IN 46582
(574) 372-0070
10622 Parkview Plaza Drive
(260) 266-7701
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Lung cancer starts when abnormal cells grow out of control in the lung. They can invade nearby tissues and form tumors. Lung cancer can start anywhere in the lungs and affect any part of the respiratory system.
Lung cancer is often caused by cigarette smoking. Tobacco smoke contains carcinogens. These are substances that cause cancer. They damage lung cells, and over time the damaged cells can turn into lung cancer.
Sometimes lung cancer develops in people who have never smoked. A few people get lung cancer after being exposed to other harmful substances, including asbestos, radioactive dust, radon, or radiation such as X-rays. Cancer also may be caused by gene changes (mutations) that occur as you get older.
A risk factor for lung cancer is something that increases your chance of getting this cancer. Having one or more of these risk factors can make it more likely that you will get lung cancer. But it doesn't mean that you will definitely get it. And many people who get lung cancer don't have any of these risk factors.
Smoking
Most lung cancers are caused by cigarette smoking. Smoking cigars or a pipe may also increase your risk for lung cancer.
Your risk of getting lung cancer is higher:
Quitting smoking lowers your risk for getting cancer. And your risk keeps going down as long as you don't smoke. Even cutting down how much you smoke may reduce your risk (but not as much as quitting completely).
If you live with a smoker, you have a higher risk for lung cancer compared with a person who lives in a nonsmoking household.
Other risks
Exposure to some substances may increase your risk for lung cancer, including:
Some gene changes (mutations) can increase the risk of getting lung cancer. These gene changes mostly occur as a person gets older.
Symptoms of lung cancer may include:
Your symptoms, your medical history, and any history of cancer in your family will help your doctor decide how likely it is that you have lung cancer. You may need tests to be sure. Lung cancer is usually first found on a chest X-ray or a CT scan.
Treatment for lung cancer is based on the type and stage of the cancer and other things, such as your overall health. The main treatments are:
Surgery. Surgery may be an option if your doctor thinks all of the cancer can be removed. The doctor may remove just the tumor, the affected part of the lung, or one whole lung.
Radiation therapy. This uses high-dose X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. It may be used with surgery. Or it may be used instead of surgery.
Chemotherapy. These medicines kill fast-growing cells, including cancer cells and some normal cells. Chemotherapy and radiation may be given together (chemoradiation).
Other options may include immunotherapy or targeted therapy. Your doctor may suggest a clinical trial.
You can get a second opinion from Parkview Cancer Institute at any stage along your cancer journey. Start now by calling 833-724-8326.
Learn more about second opinions
Meet Our Team
Here at Parkview, you’ll be cared for by a dedicated team of lung cancer specialists and sub-specialists, not a general oncologist who treats all types of cancer.
Learn more about our experts.
Research & Clinical Trials
Parkview Research Center, in collaboration with Parkview Cancer Institute, provides innovative clinical research, an integral component of advancing cancer care.
View current lung cancer clinical trials.