Understanding The Viciousness of Lung Cancer

Understanding The Viciousness of Lung Cancer
By David Silva

Lung cancer is the result of malignant cells forming in the tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining the air passages. The cells in our bodies are constantly dividing and reproducing. Usually, there's an orderly pattern to this reproduction as cells develop and specialize to meet particular needs. Occasionally, however, a cell becomes damaged. There's a mutation in its DNA, and rather than maturing and dying as is normal, it continues to reproduce unchecked. In essence, this is cancer uncontrolled reproduction and growth of abnormal cells in the body.

Most lung cancers are believed to start in the epithelial lining of the lungs the linings of the large and small airways that perform the task of extracting oxygen from the air. Because of this, lung cancer is sometimes called bronchogenic carcinoma cancer arising from the bronchia. A smaller percentage of lung cancers begin in the pleura the thin tissue sac that surrounds the lungs. These cancers are called mesothelioma. The most common form of mesothelioma is linked to asbestos exposure.

Cancer of the lungs is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. While it may take a period of years to develop, the cancer often goes undetected until late in the process. In addition, it tends to metastasize (migrate to other parts of the body) early, which leaves fewer opportunities to fight the mutated cells with surgery or radiation. Once the lung cancer does metastasize, it quickly spreads to the most vulnerable and important organs of the body, particularly the adrenal glands, the liver, the brain and the bones.

There are two primary forms of lung cancer Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Small Cell Lung Cancer is less common, though far more deadly. It's directly linked to cigarette smoking less than 1% of SCLC is diagnosed in non-smokers. It's also extremely aggressive and fast-moving, metastasizing rapidly to other organs, and often undiscovered until it's already widespread.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, on the other hand, is far more common, accounting for nearly 80% of all diagnosed lung cancers. There are three main types of non-small cell lung cancer, generally characterized by the size, shape, and chemical composition of the cells that form the cancer:

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (also referred to as Epidermoid Carcinoma): accounts for around 25% - 30% of all lung cancers, and is associated with a history of smoking. This cancer is nearly always found in the central chest area, near the bronchus.

Adenocarcinoma (also referred to as Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma): accounts for around 40% of all lung cancers, and is found in the external region of the lung. Treatment for this form of lung cancer often leads to a more successful outcome than that of other lung cancers.

Large-Cell Undifferentiated Carcinoma: accounting for only 10% - 15% of lung cancers, this form may show up in any area of the lung. It tends to spread quickly, and often results in a poor prognosis.

Its also possible for lung cancer to be a combination of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer types.

There are other, less common types of lung cancer. For instance, bronchial carcinoids are small tumors often found in people under 40 years of age. They tend to grow slowly, and be amenable to treatment. Carcinoid tumors account for approximately 5% of lung tumors. Some are non-cancerous. The others are generally slow-growing and can be successfully treated with surgery.

Finally, some cancers discovered in the lungs arent lung cancers at all. Since the lungs are prone to metastatic cancers from other sites, its not uncommon for tumors from other primary cancers to find their way to the lungs. When this occurs, the tumors are often discovered in the peripheral tissues of the lungs rather than in the central tissues.

Please note that the information provided in this article is for information purposes only. It should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of lung cancer. Such situations should always involve the expertise of a physician or health care provider.

David Silva is the webmaster for Lung Cancer Insights, a site dedicated to the dissemination of information about lung cancer, mesothelioma, non-small cell lung cancer, and their treatments.

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The Lung Cancer Epidemic

The Lung Cancer Epidemic
By Scott William

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the American population and the western world. Lung cancer use to be the leading cause of cancer deaths in American men only, but since 1988, women have caught up with men and since then lung cancer is leading cause of cancer deaths in women as well. Well over 170,000 cases of lung cancers are diagnosed in the United States each year. Very few fortunate ones get cured from this miserable disease. About 157,000 people die as the direct result of lung cancer.

The mortality related to lung cancer exceeds the combined mortality rates of second (breast cancer), third (prostate cancer), and fourth (colon cancer) leading causes of cancer death. How would we react if every day a Boing 747 crashes and all the passengers die? Thats what happens with lung cancer. About 430 people die every day from lung cancer.

Despite the high rates of cancer deaths, lung cancer receives much less attention compared to other cancers, especially breast cancer. Lung cancer research receives much less funding, and general public takes much less interest in lung cancer. Even though lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women, very little research and scientific progress occurs in the field of lung cancer.

It is estimated that about $1,723 per cancer deaths is spent on lung cancer research where as the corresponding figures for breast cancer ($13,953), prostate cancer ($10,318) and colorectal cancer (4,618) are much higher. It is interesting to note that the department of defense funds breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer but not lung cancer.

Part of the problem associated with lung cancer research funding is the fact that, there are not many lung cancer survivors to lobby for the cause of lung cancer. High mortality rates associated with lung cancer leaves very few survivors to fight for their cause, and even those fortunate survivors are not in very good health, since most of these survivors are patients who had undergone extensive lung resection.

There is also a stigma associated with lung cancer. Unlike many other types of cancers risk of lung cancer is very much linked with smoking. Many who deal with lung cancer patients and the patient himself think that the disease is the direct result of misbehavior. This fills a feeling of guilt on the lung cancer patients who tend to blame themselves. Also this acts against any fund-raising program aimed at lung cancer where people unconsciously feel that lung cancer is a disease that these patients brought on themselves.

More funding and research are urgently needed for lung cancer. We all have to join our hands to fight this miserable enemy of the human species.

Copyright Medicineworld.org 2006

Scott William is the webmaster for Medicineworld.org a site dedicated to medical information. For more information and for Symptoms and signs of lung cancer please visit author's website.

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Asbestos Asbestosis Mesothelioma Lung Cancer

Asbestos - Asbestosis, Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer
By Michael Russell

Asbestos has many appealing qualities for builders. It is strong, flexible and corrosion resistant. It is also burn resistant and a good insulator. There are not many substances with these qualities and may explain why it was so widely used. It becomes hazardous when asbestos containing materials are disturbed or damaged. Asbestos is made up of microscopic bundles of fibers. When the materials become disturbed or damaged, these fibers separate and may become airborne. These fibers may get into the lungs and that may lead to serious and even fatal diseases. Some of these diseases include:

Asbestosis is a non-cancerous lung disease. Inhaling asbestos fibers for an extended period of time causes it. This disease takes twenty five to forty years to develop. As asbestos fibers become trapped in your lungs, the body will produce an acid to try to eliminate these fibers. The continued production of the acid can eventually scar the tissues in your lungs. An excessive amount of scarring may cause the lungs to function improperly. This can lead to serious breathing difficulties. If asbestosis is left untreated, it may cause cardiac failure. At this time, there is no effective treatment for this disease. People who renovate or demolish buildings that contain asbestos have the greatest risk of getting asbestosis. The chances of getting this disease through physical contact with a person who works with asbestos are minimal. People who worked in naval shipyards were the first ones diagnosed with asbestosis.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the pleura (the outer membrane that encloses the lung and chest cavity) and/ or the peritoneum (the membrane lining the walls of the abdominal cavity). In the United States, there are only about 3000 new cases of this disease annually. Exposure to asbestos has been the cause in all of the cases. The exposure in these cases lasted anywhere from fifteen to thirty years. Unlike other forms of cancer, there is only one known cause of mesothelioma. Studies indicate that people who work in areas that contain asbestos, such as mines, mills, factories, or shipyards, or who manufacture and install asbestos installation are at the greatest risk of getting mesothelioma. You are also at risk if you live with a worker exposed to asbestos or near any area containing asbestos. Studies also indicate that younger people are more likely to contract mesothelioma when they inhale asbestos. This is the reason why people are going to great lengths to protect school children from asbestos exposure.

Many cases of lung cancer can also be attributed to asbestos exposure. Lung cancer is actually the leading cause of death among all of the illnesses caused by asbestos exposure. You can aggravate the effects of lung cancer by about fifty percent if you start smoking. People who work in occupations where they are directly involved in the handling of asbestos are at a greater risk of getting lung cancer. Exposure to both asbestos and another carcinogen, such as cigarette smoke, puts you at greater risk of contracting lung cancer than exposure to asbestos alone. There was a study that indicated that exposure to asbestos and smoke makes you ninety times more likely to contract lung cancer than a person who is not exposed to either. Some of the symptoms of lung cancer include coughing, breathing irregularities, chest pains and anemia. It usually takes fifteen to thirty years of exposure to asbestos to contract lung cancer.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Asbestos

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Cure Lung Cancer Is Lung Cancer Curable?

Cure Lung Cancer - Is Lung Cancer Curable?
By Warren C

As you know, our lungs are the most vital organs of our body. It absorbs oxygen from the air and distributes it to different parts of our body; it also expels carbon dioxide from our body into the air. When however, malignant cells develop in our lungs, we suffer from lung cancer.In this article I will tell you whether lung cancer is curable or not.

Needless to say, the primary cause behind lung cancer is smoking. It is sad that even after a lot of government-sponsored propaganda against smoking and its ill-effects, people continue their smoking habits, without realizing how much they are damaging their bodies. And if you think that you only need to stop smoking in order to cure lung cancer, you are dead wrong! Along with abstaining from smoking yourself, you should also try to live and work in a smoke-free environment. This is because passive smoking can also affect your lungs as much as active smoking does.

There are many different symptoms of lung cancer. If you are coughing frequently, with so much pressure that blood is coming out of your lungs, then in all probability you are suffering from lung cancer. Also, if you are having difficulty in breathing, then too it is possible that you are suffering from lung cancer. However, mere occurrence of these symptoms should not lead you to believe that you have lung cancer. I'd suggest you consult with a professional doctor because only a qualified doctor can tell you whether you are suffering from lung cancer or not.

In order to diagnose lung cancer, your doctor will ask you to go through different types of tests. The common tests that are used to diagnose lung cancer are x-ray, sputum test, CT scans and biopsies.

And it is really easy to cure lung cancer. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the two ways to cure lung cancer. Mostly, doctors use a combination of both the therapies in order to cure lung cancer. In some cases, surgery maybe used instead of radiation, especially if cancer has not spread beyond the lungs of the patient. However, these treatments are quite costly. So if you are not yet a lung cancer sufferer I'd recommend that you take immediate steps to prevent it. And the first step to prevent lung cancer is to stop smoking.

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Lung Cancer Are Women More Preoccupied About Breast Cancer?

Lung Cancer - Are Women More Preoccupied About Breast Cancer?
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What You Need to Know About Lung Cancer

What You Need to Know About Lung Cancer
By Boone Swann

Lung cancer occurs when cancerous cells develop in the lungs tissue. Lung cancer is the most common fatal cancer among men and women, and it is the number one killer in the world. Lung cancer has the highest mortality rate out of all the cancers combined. People with risk factors for developing the disease should have regular checkups to determine if they are cancer free.

Family history of the disease can be a warning sign that lung cancer may run in your family and that you should be checked more often. Some risk factors for lung cancer can also include age, sex, or race and are called non-modifiable factors because the person cant change them. Some lesser-known symptoms to watch out for include:

Shoulder or upper back pain caused by a tumor pressing into the lung lining

Swelling of the face and neck caused by change in circulation brought on by the tumor

Having frequent bouts of pneumonia or other lung infections

When tumors press against blood vessels, the fluids cannot travel as well through the body, and these fluids build up in the neck and face and often times the hands and feet as well. Having frequent periods of lung infections or pneumonia can also be a sign of lung cancer as the cells of the tumor trap and hold bacteria.

There are two types of lung cancer Non-small cell and small cell. Non-small cell cancer is usually associated with people who smoke and is the most common form of diagnosed cancer. Small cell lung cancer - or oat cancer - is rarer, but is also caused by smoking. Non-small cancer is more common and spreads much slower than small cell cancer. Three main types of this cancer are named for the cells where they tend to develop. These are Squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. Small cell lung cancer tends to grow and spread much more quickly than non-small cancer and can quickly spread to other areas of the body. Both types of cancers react to treatments in different ways.

Some substances that can cause lung cancer are familiar to you while others may come as a surprise. Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. How often have you heard that over the years? It is far more likely that someone who smokes will develop lung cancer than someone who doesnt smoke. The age at which the person began smoking, and the length of time theyve been smoking are also factors in the development of the disease. Even people who dont smoke themselves can be exposed to the second-hand smoke and develop lung cancer over time. Some other substances that can cause lung cancer include Radon exposure and Asbestos exposure.

Its very important to follow up with your doctor if you suspect that you may have some symptoms of lung cancer. The sooner the disease is discovered and treatment is begun, the sooner youll be well again. Regular checkups can make sure that any cancer is caught in the early stages and can be treated quickly and effectively with a variety of treatments. Physical exams, x-rays, and blood or urine tests may be required to check thoroughly.

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Lung Cancer Survival Rate

Lung Cancer Survival Rate
By Steve Valentino

Several factors influence lung cancer survival rates. The type of cancer, the stage it is at when diagnosed, and the overall condition of the patient all play a role in determining survival. Cancer survival is usually expressed in terms of a five-year survival rate, which is the percentage of patients with cancer who survive at least five years after their cancer is diagnosed.

Studies have shown that five-year survival rates among non-small cell lung cancer patients vary by stage. Stage 0 patients have the best survival, of close to 50 percent at five years. Approximately one-quarter of stage II patients survive to five years, as compared to eight percent of stage III patients and only two percent of stage IV patients. In general, small cell lung cancer tends to proceed more rapidly to terminal disease. Ten to fifteen percent of patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer, and between one and two percent of those with extensive-stage cancer, survive to five years.

Estimates of cancer survival do not reflect current treatment advances that may lead to better chances of survival, because they are typically calculated for a five-year period that does not include the previous year. Further, each patient responds to treatment in a unique way; aggregate estimates do not account for individual factors that may improve or worsen the likelihood of survival.

The overall number of deaths in the United States from lung cancer rose throughout the 1980s, and began to drop for men in the 1990s. However, a similar decrease has not been observed among women. Over fifty thousand current and former smokers have been enrolled in the National Lung Screening Trial to find out if chest x-rays and CT scans taken before the onset of lung cancer symptoms may improve early diagnosis and therefore survival.

Lung Cancer provides detailed information on Asbestos Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer Stages, Lung Cancer Survival Rate and more. Lung Cancer is affiliated with Asbestos Exposure.

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