COPD and Cancer

1. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

• Common features of COPD
  
• almost all have smoking history
• dyspnea - chronic "gasping" for air
• frequent coughing and infections
• often leads to respiratory failure

• obstructive emphysema - usually results from smoking

• a. enlargement & deterioration of alveoli
• b. loss of elasticity of the lungs
• c. "barrel chest" from bronchiole opening during inhalation & constriction during exhalation
  

• chronic bronchitis - mucus/inflammation of mucosa
  

Lung Cancer

• squamous cell carcinoma (20-40%) - epithelium of the bronchi and bronchioles
• adenocarcinoma (25-25%) - cells of bronchiole glands and cells of the alveoli
• small cell carcinoma (10-20%) - special lymphocyte-like cells of the bronchi
• 90% of all lung cancers are in people who smoke or have smoked

Category: Medicine Notes