Facts About Lung Cancer

By Ambrose Hutson

Our bodies are created with building blocks called cells. It’s a well-known fact that cells grow, divide, and multiply to meet the needs of the body and keep it strong. Sometimes, these cells will divide when there is no need to multiply, and create a mass of extra cells known as a tumor or cancer. In the lungs, an unchecked, rapid growth of cells is known as lung cancer. This disease can be diagnosed in two forms: small cell lunch cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer.

The categories of lung cancer are based morphology of the cells as seen under a microscope. The two types of lung cancer have their treatment methods, as they spread in different ways.

The regularly occurring lung cancer is non-small lung cancer, which grows and spreads slowly. The three major kinds of non-small cell lung cancer are large cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.

Small cell lung cancer is not as prevalent as non-small lung cancer. This type of lung cancer spreads rapidly and may grow to affect other organs in the body. Oat cell cancer is another term used to describe this disease.

Recently lung cancer has been recognized as the deadliest form of cancer in many developed nations, including the USA where 170,000 people die from the disease each year. Even though lung changes start almost immediately upon exposure to carcinogens, lung cancer takes years together to develop.

Inhaling the carcinogens found in cigarette smoke is the main cause of the lung in smokers and non-smokers alike. When there is an environmental exposure to radon compounded with smoking, the risk of lung cancer greatly increases. There is another type of lung cancer, known as mesothelioma, an occupational hazard among people who work around asbestos.

Lung cancer mostly affects people over fifty and who also had the habit of smoking for a quite long time. The lung cancer symptoms vary based upon the location of the tumor in the lungs. You may suspect lung cancer if you are experiencing chronic cough, chest pain, wheezing, and recurring lung infections.

An experienced health care professional can diagnose lung cancer based on symptoms, smoking history, medical history, earlier family history of lung cancer, and exposure to occupational and environmental materials. After the initial tests, an X-Ray can be used to make an affirmative diagnosis. Different tests are available to diagnose small cell or non-small lung cancer and to gauge the stage of the cancer. Medical professionals are also able to confirm whether the cancer is localized within the lung or has spread to other parts of the body.

Lung cancer is treated by three methods: chemotherapy (in which cancer cells can be eliminated by medication), radiation therapy (eradicating the cancer cells with high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays) and surgery (removal of the cancerous tumor). It’s considered difficult to treat advanced stage lung cancer, but early stage cancer can be treated with moderate success.

As prevention is better than cure, it is highly prudent not to use any tobacco. The best way to reduce the occurrence of lung cancer is to quit smoking. If you quit smoking at the earliest opportunity, you may gradually decrease your risk of lung cancer over 10 to 15 years as your lungs recover.

Contributor Ambrose Hutson contributes articles to numerous popular web sites, on woman health and personal health care themes.

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Topics: Diseases and Conditions | Comments Off

Tags: cancer, cancer survival, dealing with cancer, Diseases and Conditions, fitness, health, health conditions & diseases, health problems & diseases, healthcare and diseases, lung cancer

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