Lung Cancer Overview
Cells are the building blocks of the body. In order to keep the body hale and healthy, we know very well that cells grow, divide, and proliferate. Sometimes the cells will divide among themselves, although there is no need to multiply and the mass of additional cells forms tumor or cancer. An uncontrolled and rapid growth of lung cells is called Lung cancer.
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, generally in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has an inclination to form in the glands below the bronchi.
What is Metastasis?
Generally, Lung cancer develops over a period of years. Many people believe lung cancer is a disease that strikes abruptly, but this is not often the case. There are often areas of pre-cancerous changes in the lung to start with.
These pre-cancerous changes typically progress to an aggressive type of cancer. As a cancer develops new blood vessels form to protect the cancer cells. Eventually, a tumor develops and grows huge enough to observe on x-rays. Once it gets to a certain stage, bits from the tumor cut loose and spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. This development is called metastasis.
Lung Cancer: Deadliest Form of Cancer
Nowadays lung cancer has been recognized as the deadliest form of cancer in many developed nations including USA where 170,000 people die from the disease every year. Although lung changes start almost immediately upon exposure to carcinogens, lung cancer takes years collectively to develop.
Cause of the Lung Cancer
The main scientific study of the cause of the lung cancer is the inhalation of the carcinogens through cigarette smoke by both smokers and non-smokers. When there is an environmental exposure to Radon compounded with smoking, the risk of lung cancer increases.
Aside from this, lung cancer is considered to be a work-related hazard amongst the people who are working in asbestos industry, which is termed as mesothelioma lung cancer.Lawyers such as Baron and Budd can protect those who have been harmed by workplace as asbestos exposure.
Who are the sufferers of the Lung Cancer?
The main sufferers of the Lung cancer are the people of over fifty and those having the habit of smoking for a relatively long period. The location of the tumor in the lungs is the symptoms of the Lung cancer. The Lung cancer symptoms depend upon the position of the tumor in the lungs. If you are suffering from chronic cough, chest pain, wheezing, and recurring lung injections, you may suspect Lung cancer.
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Your lungs are sponge-like essential organs which frame a large portion of your Respiratory System. Normal healthy people have 2 lungs – one on the left and one on the right side in the chest. Each lung consists of multiple sections, called lobes. Your right lung is slightly larger than the left lung and has 3 lobes, while your left lung has only 2 lobes.
The main task of the lungs is to deliver oxygen (O 2) to the blood and remove carbon dioxide (CO 2) from the blood. Therefore the lungs are involved in a very complicated type of gaseous exchange system.
When you breathe in, that is inhale; air enters the trachea which is more commonly called the wind pipe, by means of your nose or mouth. The trachea divides into two tubes, called the bronchi, which carry air to each lung.
Each bronchi further divides into small tubes called bronchioles, which deliver air to spongy air sacks in your lungs called alveoli. These alveoli are loaded with blood vessels, and allow the absorption of oxygen (O 2) by the red blood cells in your blood, and also allow the release of carbon dioxide (CO 2) from your blood, which is removed from your body when you breathe out, or exhale.
Pleura, a slippery lining protects the lungs as they expand and contract during breathing. It can be very powerful, if the pleura become damaged or diseased.
For example, when our lungs are not able to operate effectively, when they are affected by disease, then we can experience shortness of breath. If the lungs are seriously compromised by disease or damaged in any other way, then the lack of oxygen in the blood can cause brain damage, damage to other body organs, and even death. In order to live a normal, healthy, active live, our lungs are essentially important for us, and it is necessary they function at their maximum efficiency.
For a variety of reasons, if the lungs are afflicted with lung cancer then this can be dangerous. For a start, the lungs will operate less efficiently, and this will cause shortness of breath, fatigue, and similar symptoms. In more severe cases, if sufficient lung tissue is damaged by the cancer, then more severe symptoms, or even death, may result.
However, this is only part of the equation. Lung cancer is also dangerous, as is cancer in any other part of the body, because the cancer can spread to other organs and tissues in the body, causing them to operate less effectively. When this happens, a range of serious symptoms can appear, plus the possible death of the person who is afflicted by the cancer.
Cancer is a word that brings fear to the heart of all who hear it, particularly when mentioned by a doctor concerning recent tests. So what is cancer? What causes it? Why is it so dangerous to our health? overview
We need to consider the basics before we can answer these questions.
Microscopic cells are the basic building blocks of animals and plants. With various types of millions of tiny cells, our bodies are composed. Normally, in order to produce more cells as needed to keep the body healthy and functioning properly, our cells grow and divide. However, due to variety of reasons, things can rarely go wrong with our cells.
Each of our cells comprises tiny strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and these molecules carry hereditary information and pass it from one generation to the next. It is this DNA that determines the type and function of each cell.
Mutation and its Cause
The change in DNA makeup of a living cell is known as a mutation. The cause of these mutations is mistakes or problems often arising during cell division. Other problems in the environment can occur when exposed to DNA-damaging substances or agents. Contact to radiation, carcinogenic substances, and smoking are all known to cause mutations in cells in mammals and these mutations can cause life threatening diseases.
Mutations can be damaging, advantageous, or have no effect whatsoever. If mutations take place in cells making eggs or sperm, they can be passed onto future generations and inherited by their offspring. If the mutations occur in other types of cells, then they are not always inherited or passed on to future generations. Specific mutations may cause cancer or other diseases.
A Tumor is an unusual mass of tissue that results when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should. Tumors may be benign (not cancerous), or malignant (cancerous).
Being fairly harmless, benign tumors usually don’t spread around the body or cause any damage to other organs. Usually, they are fairly easy to remove, for example with surgery, and they often don’t grow back. Benign tumors are rarely a threat to life. Benign tumors are not cancer. However, from time to time benign tumors can change and become malignant. Malignant tumors are cancer, and they can have severe effects on health and life-span.
Cancer is a particular type of disease in which irregular body cells are formed and reproduce so they can attack nearby tissues and organs of the body. They then spread through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to other parts of the body and attack other organs and tissues.
Types of Cancer
With a wide range of cancers, the human body can be affected. However, there are really only five main types of cancer: Carcinoma, Sarcoma, Leukaemia, Lymphoma, and Multiple Myeloma.
Carcinoma is a type of cancer beginning in the skin and/or tissues lining and covering our internal organs.
Sarcoma is a type of cancer that begins in our bones, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive type tissue.
Leukaemia is a type of cancer that starts within the blood-forming tissues for example the bone marrow. This causes huge numbers of unusual blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream.
Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma are both types of cancer that begin in the cells of the immune system.
Metastasis is the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. Through the blood stream or lymphatic system, cells from the cancer can break away from the original tumor and spread to other parts of the body, lodging in other organs and tissues and allowing the cancer to develop and grow in these places.
Metastatic Tumor a tumor formed by cells that have spread. A metastatic tumor contains cells that are similar to those in the original (primary) tumor. It can be difficult to control, treat and eradicate, once a tumor spreads throughout the body.
Types of Lung Cancer
Based on the morphology of the cells look under a microscope, Lung cancer has been divided. Since they spread in different ways, each type of the lung cancer is having its own way of treatment.
According to four stages, lung cancer disease has been categorized, with Stage 1 being the mildest (and least life threatening) form of the disease, and Stage 4 being the most rigorous (and most life threatening) form of the disease. Though, it should be remembered that, all stages of lung cancer are serious.
Lung Cancers are divided into two major types,
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
- Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
Depending on the visibility of the cells when they are examined, the type of the Lung Cancer has been recognized. However, there are also other types of lung cancer. Each type of lung cancer grows and spreads in dissimilar ways and requires different treatments, so it’s important that doctors get it right.
About 13% of all lung cancers are Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC), and throughout the body these tend to widely spread. This means to kill the widespread disease, the management of the cancer should include drugs.
Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) cells can reproduce quickly to form large tumors which can spread to the patient’s lymph nodes and other organs in his body such as the adrenal glands, bones, brain and liver. If this happens, the prognosis usually becomes very poor for the patient, and they can die rather quickly.
Due to smoking, small cell lung cancer is caused. It is very strange for someone who has never smoked to develop small cell lung cancer.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
About 87% of all lung cancers are Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), of which there are three main types. These types of NSCLC are characterized by the size, shape, and chemical composition of the cells that form the cancer.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma : is also known as Epidermoid Carcinoma. It accounts for around 25% – 30% of all lung cancers, and is connected with a history of smoking. This cancer is almost always found in the central chest area, near the bronchus.
Adenocarcinoma : This cancer accounts for about 40% of all lung cancers, and is to be found in the outside region of the lung. In contrast with any other types of lung cancer, individuals with Adenocarcinoma known as Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma have a tendency to have a better outcome of successful treatment and recovery.
Large-Cell Undifferentiated Carcinoma : This type of cancer may appear in any part of the lung and accounts for about 10% – 15% of lung cancers. This type of cancer tends to develop and increase very quickly, resulting in a poor prognosis for the patient.
Small Cell Lung Cancer
There are three types of small cell lung cancer.
These three types include many different types of cells. The cancer cells of each of these grow and develop in different ways.
The types of small cell lung cancer are named after the different types of cells found in the tumor and how they look when examined under a microscope:
- Mixed small cell/large cell carcinoma.
- Combined small cell carcinoma.
In very unusual cases, the lung cancer cells may have characteristics of both types of lung cancer, and in this case it is called a Mixed Small Cell/Large Cell Carcinoma (MSCLCC).
Some times, Small cell lung cancer is called oat cell cancer and is less extensive than non-small cell lung cancer. SCLC can increase itself widely throughout the body. This means, in order to kill the widespread disease, management of the illness has to include drugs to. Small cell carcinoma creates its own hormones, which then can change body chemistry.
Although each cell is small, they multiply quickly, forming large tumors, and spreading to lymph nodes and other organs such as the bones, brain, adrenal glands, and liver. This type of cancer frequently starts in the bronchi towards the centre of the lungs.
Small cell lung cancer is nearly always caused by smoking. It is very unusual for someone who has never smoked to have small cell lung cancer.
The 4 stages are as follows:
Stage I: the lung cancer is confined to the lung tissue alone (This stage has the maximum hope of recovery)
Stage II: the lung cancer is limited to the lung tissue and lymph nodes in lung,
Stage III: the lung cancer is confined to the lung tissue and lymph nodes inside and outside of the lung
Stage IV: the lung cancer has spread to the liver, adrenal glands, bone, brain, and/or other sites.
Lung Cancer Information
Lung Cancer Information is the one of the term frequently searched in the online for getting details about lung cancer. Long ago, to supply essential information on lung cancer, very little has been done, but recently, without any hesitant you can get required information on lung cancer. Getting Lung Cancer Information will help you to understand the lung cancer and also to talk more simply with your nurses and doctors.
To help your friends and family members, passing on the information of lung cancer will help them to understand your situation and how you are managing this disease. In order to get fruitful results, it is always advisable to include your friends and family members in the health care provider team.
The abnormal growth of lung cells or a tumor in the lungs is known as the Lung cancer. Only when the cause of the disease is ascertained, the information on lung cancer can be thoroughly understandable. Although the main contributory agent of lung cancer is smoking, other causes include Radon, exposing to toxic chemicals, occupational hazards, etc.
Know the Symptoms of Lung Cancer
Only when you know the symptoms of lung cancer, then only the information on lung cancer is completely fulfilled. The symptoms include loss of appetite, persistent coughing, continuous infection in the lungs, and sometimes oozing of blood during coughing. There may be even loss of memory when there is metastasis is observed in the brain, which is the continuation of lung cancer.
Avoid Tobacco for Lung Cancer
Avoiding tobacco is the best way to prevent the occurrence of lung cancer. Even though you are a chain smoker, by quitting, you can reduce your risk of lung cancer. In order to quit smoking, there are so many ways and means are available on-line smokeless cigarettes. Since smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, it is highly advisable to adhere to the procedure of quit smoking and as long as you stop smoke your risk continues to decrease.
Tests and Stages of the Lung Cancer
In a large quantity, the information on lung cancer treatment is available. With the help of chest X-ray, the lung cancer can easily be diagnosed with. There are series of tests available In order to find out the stage of your lung cancer, series of tests are available to detect whether it is non-small cell or small cell lung cancer to check whether it is present in the lungs only or has reach the other parts of your body. (misdiagnosis of cancer)
Depending upon your stage of the lung cancer, treatment varies. Treatment includes chemotherapy or radiation therapy or surgery. Sometimes combination of all also fetches fruitful results.
The above information on lung cancer will help you a lot to keep the disease under control apart from the regular treatment, once you have been diagnosed with lung cancer.
After detecting the disease, although you require extra rest, you should not discontinue the regular activities such as walking, playing golf, indulging in an active sexual life, etc.
To help you in throwing anger or tension, make use of your body to fell better about yourself. You should ask your health care professional about what are the suitable activities for you to do. The above information on lung cancer will help you to have enough basic knowledge to know the lung cancer. The statistics of Lung Cancer are in your hands – do something about it.
If you have been exposed to asbestos and have been diagnosed with lung or mesothelioma cancer, we urge you to seek the guidance of a knowledgeable mesothelioma attorney. Those who were wrongfully exposed may be eligible for financial compensation for their injuries.
Lung Cancer Research
Lung cancer research is one of the challenging fields for research personnel related with not only human beings but also the animals. Due to the increase in the incidences of lung cancer, when compared to the earlier periods, the field of lung cancer research is a greatly welcome and immediately required one.
One of the confusing feature in the field of lung cancer research is that what ever be the chemotherapy either alone or in combination with more medicaments, the research methodologies fail to make full recovery of the patient, especially if the patient has lung cancer that reflects metastasis in which the cancerous cells get firmly recognized in other organs like hepatic structures, renal tissues, cardiac areas, bones etc.
In order to tackle the cancer in lungs, the features pertaining to the lung cancer research as on today tend to apply multiple therapeutic approaches. Gene Therapy usage related research approach, in which case attempts are being made to identify the genetic linkage with pathogenesis and thereby to cause gene repair or gene modulation therapy using advanced genetic approaches.
It is remarkable to mention that the ultimate purpose of lung cancer research on gene therapy is to correct the accumulation of many molecular genetic defects that have resulted in a type of unruly replication in the affected patients.
Lung cancer research currently aims in growth of suppressor genes related to lung cancer to reduce the effects of swelling in cells. In this manner, cytokine genes may of helpful in order to achieve a greater efficacy in treatment. However, it is to be noted that aerosol therapy which is right away considered in research aspects has its own problems in terms of demerits related to absorption of the recently designed drugs.
If a concerned medical expert wants to have a strong basis in dealing with such lung cancer, Lung cancer research has to be understood from the base line steps –the most complex type of cancerous growths especially when it involves an extensive spread over a broad areas and affect the organs whichever are open to the passed on tumor cells through the circulatory system or through the lymphatic system.
Research of lung cancer is connected with lymph nodes particularly if there is a strong feeling of spread through the multiple lymph nodes of body and in such cases, inflammatory response is to be taken one of the important criteria for research aspects in lung cancer.
Further, lung cancer research also involves usage of techniques related to oncogene inactivation strategies wherein best possible delivery of antisense molecules is made over the malignant neoplastic cells as in case of lung cancer. Ultimately, in short, it can be said that the lung cancer research aspects these days involve identification, subsequent removal of obstacles for recovery, which is followed by proper monitoring of the affected patient to the treatment strategies, adapted in them.
In order to achieve a better success rate in Lung Cancer patients, Lung cancer research also involves the multiple enzyme prod rug combinations and in various countries more clinical trials are being undertaken in the field of personalized medicine.
Asbestos found in many household materials can lead to Pleural Mesothelioma, a dangerous form of Lung Cancer.
What is Tumor ?
The body comprises many types of cells. In order to maintain the body healthy and make it function properly, these cells grow, divide, and produce more cells as needed.
All through a person’s life, normal cells constantly reproduce themselves, but in an organized and controlled manner. Typically normal cell growth occurs, so damaged tissues can be replaced and wounds repaired.
Sometimes, however, this process goes off track and cells start to grow out of control. They form a mass, and this mass is called a tumor.
A capable medical professional can easily point out the cause of the lung cancer, which you are suffering. He evaluates your smoking history, symptoms, exposure to work-related and environmental substances and medical history. The physician can also give you adequate information on lung cancer.