i just collected some highlights about the cancer disease i felt to put it as an article cause its most important to underrated this disease and how to treat it
http://googleta.com/what-is-cancer/
Good Stuff Happens in 1:1 Meetings: Why you need them and how to do them well
what is cancer
1. ==== ====
i just collected some highlights about the cancer disease i felt to put it as an article cause its most
important to underrated this disease and how to treat it
http://googleta.com/what-is-cancer/
==== ====
General Information on Lung Cancer
Lung cancer, or carcinoma of the lung, is one of the most common forms of cancer today. It is one
of the most frequent causes of cancer-related mortality in the United States today. In the United
States, another form of cancer that is becoming increasingly common is breast cancer, which is
the development of malignant tissue in the breast. Breast cancer is seen mostly in women, though
this does not mean that men are immune to it. A small percentage of men too contract breast
cancer. The numbers are small, 1 man with breast cancer against a 100 women with it, but its
there. However, there is one major difference between breast cancer and lung cancer. One can
see the symptoms of breast cancer at an early stage, while in the case of lung cancer, the
symptoms are not detected early, primarily because they match the symptoms of other lesser
ailments. In this article, we will discuss lung cancer.
A person is said to suffer from lung cancer when a growth of malignant cancer cells is detected in
the lungs. Depending on the stage at which lung cancer is detected, it can be classified as being in
the:
oEarly stages
oMid-stages
oAdvanced stages
Today, there is a vast amount of information on lung cancer available. Patients or relatives of
patients can access information over the Internet, which has an almost limitless number of
websites dedicated to different aspects of lung cancer - types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis,
treatment, etc. For example, if you are from the United Kingdom and want to research information
on lung cancer treatment, facilities, etc in your country, you can simply log onto the website of
Cancer Research UK, UK's leading cancer charity, and collect whatever information you want from
their site.
Earlier on, treatment of lung cancer was not an easy thing to do, owing to the huge amount of
expenses in the form of medical bills, hospital stays fees, etc. However, nowadays with the
availability of insurance, things have become easier. Lung cancer insurance is available easily, as
is insurance covering other forms of cancer.
Types of Lung Cancer
2. Two main types of lung cancer exist today. Both of these are seen in the epithelial cells of the
lungs. They are:
oSmall cell lung cancer (SLCC)
oNon-small cell lung cancer
There is another type, called mixed small cell/large cell lung cancer. In this type you can find both
kinds of cells in the cancerous tissue.
Besides these two types, there is another form of cancer of the lung area, called mesothelioma or
mesothelioma cancer or cancer of the mesothelium. However, this is not considered a primary
form of lung cancer, as its target area is not the lobes of the lung, but the pleural membrane
covering the lung.
Small Cell Lung Cancer
This is the rarer of the two basic forms of lung cancer. One out of every five lung cancer patients
suffer from small cell lung cancer.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Non-small cell lung cancer, or non-small lung cancer, is the more common of the two basic forms
of lung cancer. Four out of five lung cancer patients suffer from this type of cancer.
Based on the cell type/area in which the carcinogenic cells proliferate in the lungs, non-small cell
lung cancer is further categorized into three types. They are:
oSquamous cell carcinoma
oAdenocarcinoma
oLarge Cell Carcinoma
oBronchioalveolar Carcinoma (BAC)
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
This is the most common type of lung cancer. It occurs in the cells lining the airways inside the
lungs. This form of cancer occurs mostly due to nicotine ingestion through smoking.
Adenocarcinoma
This form of cancer is seen in the mucus cells within the airways in the lung.
Large Cell Carcinoma
This is also called undifferentiated lung cancer. In large cell carcinoma, the proliferating cells are
3. round and much larger than the cells seen in adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma.
Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma (BAC)
This form of cancer is seen in the bronchioalveolar region of the lung.
What Causes Lung Cancer?
The main cause of lung cancer is exposure to tobacco. This is primarily through smoking. About
80% of lung cancer patients are smokers. Smokers may be cigarette smokers, cigar smokers, or
pipe smokers; it doesn't matter. The risk of contracting lung cancer is equal in all the three cases.
A person may inhale smoke directly. A person can also inhale smoke passively or involuntarily.
This smoke is also called secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is of two types:
oMainstream - This is the smoke exhaled by the smoker, and amounts to more than 50% of all
secondhand smoke.
oSidestream - This is the smoke emanating from the burning end of a cigarette/cigar/pipe/hookah.
Passive smokers too stand a high chance of contracting lung cancer. The chances of
passive/secondary smokers contracting lung cancer is 30% higher than people who do not inhale
smoke either actively or passively.
However, there have been instances of even total non-smokers suffering from lung cancer. This
indicates that smoking is not the only cause for lung cancer. It is the primary cause, yes, but not
definitely the only cause. The following are some of the other causes of lung cancer:
oAir pollution
oInhalation of asbestos fibers
oExposure to radon, a radioactive substance formed by breaking down uranium
oInhalation of marijuana fumes by smoking
oExposure of the chest area to radiation therapy during cancer treatment
oHereditary reasons
oPresence of arsenic in drinking water
oDiet with low fruit and vegetable content (this increases the risk of lung cancer in smokers)
A combination of exposure to tobacco along with any of these causes greatly increases the
chances of a person contracting lung cancer.
Lung Cancer Symptoms
4. The following are some of the common symptoms of lung cancer. They do not usually manifest in
the early stages. Even if they do, they are usually mistaken for some other ailment. These
symptoms are:
oPersistent coughing
oReddish or muddy brown spit
oLoss of breath
oLoss of appetite
oPersistent or repetitive infections of the bronchial tract
oHoarseness of voice
oRenewed wheezing
In its later advanced stages, when the lung cancer is said to be in metastasis, the symptoms are:
oNumbness in the arms or legs
oA jaundiced appearance
oTumorous growths near the skin surface
oSeizures
oBone pain
oDizziness
Lung Cancer Detection and Diagnosis
It is very rare to be able to detect lung cancer in its early stages. There are no specific symptoms
of early stages of lung cancer. This is one of the reasons why lung cancer is usually detected in its
later stages.
The use of a proper screening technique would greatly increase the chances of early lung cancer
detection. However, there is no such proper and totally effective screening technique yet.
Research is on to see if one can be formulated soon. As of now, a new technique called spiral CT
seems to be the best option for early detection.
Once lung cancer is detected, the next step is to determine the stage it is in. This is done using the
AJCC system. Roman numerals are used to mark the different stages of lung cancer, numerals
from 0 to IV. Sometimes the stages are further divided into substages, using denotations A and B.
The general rule of thumb is that the lower the denomination, the less serious the condition.
5. Lung Cancer Treatment
Lung cancer treatment options are usually the same as prostate cancer treatment options or colon
cancer treatment options. What I mean is that all forms of cancer have the same treatment
options. However, lung cancer tests may be different from colon cancer tests. The standard
treatment options for lung cancer are:
oSurgery
oRadiation Therapy
oChemotherapy
What matters is the combination of methods being used. The more serious the cancer, the more
chances that different treatment options will be used in tandem, or one after the other.
References
ohttp://www.aacr.org
ohttp://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/colon-and-rectal
ohttp://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Lung/General/Typesoflungcancer
ohttp://www.cancer.org
ohttp://www.lungcanceronline.org
The writer does freelance writing work. Primary areas are keyword-rich articles (especially in
healthcare, insurance, credit), creative writing, blogposts, etc.
For more information please visit: http://www.projectrade.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ajishnu_Sharma