Published in Storytime Tapestry and gather.com

Since it is the most common cancer in the world, it is important to pick up the facts about lung cancer. People in the advanced stage of this disease live only for approximately five years after diagnosis. Lung cancer is most prominent among men and women 65 to 75 years of age.

Types of Cancer Cells

Cancer begins at the cell level when certain cells mutate. They grow abnormally and become killer cells, destroying the areas of the body that they attack. The abnormal cells grow and multiply in the millions to form malignant (cancerous) tumors.

The type of cells that are explain in the lungs will classify the different types of lung cancers.

Small cell carcinoma also known as oat cell carcinoma, defined as such because of the oat shape that these cells take on is found in heavy smokers. They originate in the bronchial tubes descending to the lungs and they spread rapidly.

A second plot of cells also found in lung cancer victims is known as non-small cells and they include squamous cells, large carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma cells.

In turn the cells will react differently to treatment.

Smoking

We all know that smoking causes most lung cancers and the carcinogens in tobacco begin to infect the lung lining the small they enter the body. In the initial stages, the body can fight off these foreign toxins and repair itself, but as time goes by the assault is too stout and the body weakens and is unable to fight them off any longer. The more a person smokes, and the longer a person smokes will add to the risk of getting lung cancer.

There is one ample point in all of this. If a person quits smoking before the cancer has developed the body will repair itself. But the risk to contract cancer is still greater than for a person who has never smoked before.

Secondhand smoke is also a known contributor to about 30% of lung cancers. Secondhand smoke is found in the environment, the workplace, at home, and in social situations. Therefore, because of the immanent danger to nonsmokers many countries have now enacted laws against smoking in public.

Cancers in the lungs can travel to other parts of the body or cancers from other parts of the body can travel to the lungs as well. The lymph nodes have blood vessels within the lymphatic system making it possible for cancer to travel throughout the body (metastases).

Many people work in hazardous places such as chemical plants and toxic demolish landfills. They are subjected to radioactive materials, asbestos, and more; as a result they become a high risk group for contracting lung cancer.

Finally, there are some people who get lung cancer and the researchers cannot figure out why.

We all should be aware of the risk factors connected with lung cancer and do our best to avoid them. The most well-liked risk factors are:

- Smoking

- Inhaling secondhand smoke (remember smoke will settle on clothing, draperies, carpets and furniture in your home).

- Women are at greater risk for lung cancer even if they were a smoker and have since stopped.

- Family history of lung cancer

- Alcohol – demonstrate studies show that people who drink more than two glasses of alcohol a day are at a greater risk.

- Radon gas – found in the home seeping up out of the floor from dirt basements, drains, concrete walls, base of furnaces and more will contribute to this disease.

- Toxic chemicals such as nickel, arsenic, chromium, will contribute to the disease.

Lung cancer victims may have a original cough starting out as bronchitis, find changes in an existing cough or start spitting up blood mixed in with the phlegm. Their voice may become hoarse. Also flu like symptoms might occur as well as wheezing and breathing difficulties. Lung cancer, which starts in the bronchi will venture further down into the lungs and manifest into pneumonia and that will in turn cause chest pain.

The pain can travel to other areas of the body as well.

If the cancer interferes with the blood supply in the lungs and the veins, it can cause heart failure.

A create up of fluid in the lungs (effusion) can cause difficulty in breathing.

If the malignant tumors are pressing against the backbone there may be nerve damage making it painful and difficult to move around.

Generally speaking lung cancer is diagnosed by X rays, CT and MRI, tissue biopsy, sputum testing, bronchoscopy, needle biopsy, thoracentesis (needle that takes out fluid), thoracotomy (removal of the lung) mediastinoscopy (used in the chest area known as the mediastinum), pulmonary function tests, blood tests, bone scan, and staging (classifying the extent of the tumor and how far it has traveled to other parts of the body).

Treating lung cancer does depend upon the extent of the disease, how advanced it is, and how treatable it actually is. The patient’s general state of health and wishes are also taken into consideration, some patients refuse any treatment at all.

The treatments that are currently available include:

- Radiation treatment (high powered X rays)

- Chemotherapy

- Targeted drug therapy – new drugs on the market to recognize out and waste the cancer cells without attacking living cells.

- Acupuncture

- Yoga

- Meditation

- Clinical trials – some people will volunteer for clinical trials, which are designed to test out new drugs and new technology but there are no guarantees that they will provide a successful treatment for the individual patient who enters them.

- Palliative care – for people who do not want any treatments to try to cure the disease, or they are too advanced in their disease to have a successful cure at this time. Palliative care professionals treat the symptoms and try to make the patient as comfortable as possible usually in the last stages of their disease.

Sources

Canada.com

http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_condition_info_details.asp? disease_id=177&channel_id=12&relation_id=10830

EMedicineHealth.com

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/lung_cancer/article_em.htm

Mayoclinic.com

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lung-cancer/DS00038/DSECTION=causes

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