Cancer treatment and research center Oasis of Hope provides a multidisciplinary approach to cancer that focuses on alternative treatments and utilizes a dedicated team of physicians with significant clinical experience. Cancers treated at Oasis of Hope include small cell lung cancer (SCLC), one of the two primary types of lung cancer.
Also called oat cell cancer, SCLC represents approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of all lung cancer cases and manifests when cells within the lungs begin growing uncontrollably. SCLC tends to spread quickly throughout the body, and the rapid cell growth of cancer cells can develop into tumors. Symptoms of SCLC can range from persistent coughing and coughing up blood or rust-colored phlegm to shortness of breath and fatigue. Patients may also experience chest pains that worsen with laughing, coughing, or deep breathing.
A new set of symptoms may arise after SCLC spreads to other parts of the body, depending on the areas affected. Cancer that spreads to the liver can cause yellowing of the skin, and metastization to the brain may lead to nervous system changes such as seizures, balance issues, or numbness in the limbs. Patients with SCLC may also develop paraneoplastic syndromes due to hormone-like substances that enter the bloodstream and travel to distant organs and tissues. Since the resulting symptoms affect other organs, physicians may suspect other diseases before offering a lung cancer diagnosis.
Also called oat cell cancer, SCLC represents approximately 10 percent to 15 percent of all lung cancer cases and manifests when cells within the lungs begin growing uncontrollably. SCLC tends to spread quickly throughout the body, and the rapid cell growth of cancer cells can develop into tumors. Symptoms of SCLC can range from persistent coughing and coughing up blood or rust-colored phlegm to shortness of breath and fatigue. Patients may also experience chest pains that worsen with laughing, coughing, or deep breathing.
A new set of symptoms may arise after SCLC spreads to other parts of the body, depending on the areas affected. Cancer that spreads to the liver can cause yellowing of the skin, and metastization to the brain may lead to nervous system changes such as seizures, balance issues, or numbness in the limbs. Patients with SCLC may also develop paraneoplastic syndromes due to hormone-like substances that enter the bloodstream and travel to distant organs and tissues. Since the resulting symptoms affect other organs, physicians may suspect other diseases before offering a lung cancer diagnosis.