There are two major types of lung cancer -- small cell and non-small cell. Both of these are associated with cigarette smoking. Patients may present with a variety of symptoms, and these may be related to local effects of the tumor, distant effects of the tumor or metastases. Possible local effects include a cough, bloody sputum, chest pain, recurrent pneumonias and shortness of breath. The best chances of survival are seen when the tumor is early stage and resectable for cure. Since lung cancers grow over time, a cancer is more likely to be resectable and thus curable if it is discovered early. The growth of a cancer can be unpredictable, which is why it is important to make the diagnosis early before it has a chance to grow and spread.
Lung cancer medical expert witness specialties include oncology, internal medicine, radiology, pathology, lung transplant, thoracic surgery, internal medicine, family medicine, and hospitalist medicine.