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Lung Cancer - Facts, Prevention And Treatment

Monday, January 11, 2010 7:04:00 AM Posted by Cancer Centers

Many smokers tend to quit at least once if not twice in their lifetime. Yet, they may not utilize several techniques to help them completely quit thus getting stuck in a cycle of not being able to stop. What kind of help is there?

- Nicotine gum
- Nicotine inhalers
- Nicotine sprays; among many more

Smokers already know how to lessen their chances of getting lung cancer. Yet, non smokers are still at risk of getting lung cancer by being exposed to passive smoking. Non smokers may be exposed to radon gas and not even know it. For that reason, radon gas test kits are important in identifying the levels of gas inside their home. Radon gas is capable of causing lung cancer to appear in non smokers with limited history of passive smoking.

DoctorsThese scans may be able to detect smaller cancers that are usually cured by surgical means thus preventing the spread of an incurable cancer.

The Facts behind Lung Cancer
Of all cancers, including breast cancer in women, diagnosed in the United States and around the globe, this disease is the primary killer in men and in women. Despite the existence of passive smoking, cigarette smoking, not including cigar smoking, is a main favor behind lung cancer growth. When a non smoker is exposed to tobacco smoke, there is an increased risk lung cancer due to the passive smoke.

There are actually two forms of lung cancer. The first is small cell lung cancers or SCLC. Survival rate increases through this treatment methods. The second is non small cell lung cancer or NSCLC. Cancers of this form usually will need to be surgically removed to be an effective treatment method. A small number of patients with SCLS can be helped by radition therapy. However, if the disease is in its advanced stages, there is a small chance of survival through chemotherapy treatment.

How extensive the disease, the size of the tumor, what sort of symptoms the patient has and the kind of lung cancer will determine at what stage the lung cancer is classified by doctors. Physicians will use x-rays, MRI scans, CT scan and bone scans to also determine the stage of the lung cancer.

Lung cancer treatments can involve any number of options including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Treatments may also be combined to achieve success in beat the cancer. Some lung cancer patients may be invited to participate in experimental treatments.

Lung cancer survival, unlike other cancer types, has a low rate. Generally, survival rates are approximately 16 percent for five years. Quitting smoking is the most vital way that can reduce the chances of getting lung cancer.

Lung Cancer - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Lung cancer is the malignant transformation and expansion of lung tissue, and is the most lethal of all cancers worldwide, responsible for 1.2 million deaths annually. It is a leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States. Cigarette smoking causes most lung cancers. The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer. High levels of pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may also increase risk. There are many types of lung cancer. Each type of lung cancer grows and spreads in different ways and is treated differently.

Treatment may include chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Lung cancer that originates in the cells of the lungs is called primary lung cancer; however, cancer may also spread to the lung from other parts of the body. Metastatic cancers spread to the lungs most commonly from the breast, colon, prostate, kidney, thyroid gland, stomach, cervix, rectum, testis, bone, and skin (melanoma). More than 90% of primary lung cancers start in the bronchi such lung cancer is called bronchogenic carcinoma.

The specific types of lung cancer are small cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma. The last three types of lung cancer are often referred to as nonsmall cell lung cancers. Alveolar cell carcinoma originates in the small air sacs of the lung (alveoli). Although alveolar cell carcinoma can occur at a single site, it often develops simultaneously in more than one area of the lung. Less common lung tumors are bronchial carcinoid (which may be cancerous or noncancerous), chondromatous hamartoma and sarcoma.

Lung cancer is the rapid growth of abnormal cells in the lung. It can start anywhere in the lungs and affect any part of the respiratory system . When we breathe out, the lungs get rid of carbon dioxide, which is a waste product of the body's cells. Cancers that begin in the lungs are divided into two major types, non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer, depending on how the cells look under a microscope.

Causes of Lung Cancer
1. Breast cancer
2. Colon cancer
3. Rectal cancer
4. Stomach cancer

Symptoms of Lung Cancer
1. Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness.
2. Difficulty swallowing.
3. Fatigue.
4. Loss of appetite or weight loss.
5. Constant chest pain.
6. Breathlessness.

Treatment of Lung Cancer
1. Chemotherapy
2. Radiation therapy
3. Surgery


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