AllAboutLungCancer

VARIOUS RISK FACTORS OF LUNG CANCER

dodibintaro — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:49:13 +0000

There are a various risk factors that are linked to lung cancer. The most common known causes are as follows:

Cigarette Smoking
Cigarette smoking is probably the most closely related link to developing lung cancer. A person who smokes two packs or more of cigarettes per day has a one in seven chance of developing lung cancer. Those that smoke one pack of cigarettes per day have a twenty-five times greater chance of developing lung cancer than a non-smoker. In addition, those people that smoke a pipe or cigar have a five times greater chance of developing lung cancer than a non-smoker.

The risk of developing lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked over your lifetime. Cigarette smoking damages the cells in your lungs. The moment you stop smoking, your lungs begin healing themselves, replacing damaged cells with healthy, normal cells. Your risk of developing lung cancer begins decreasing almost immediately when you quit smoking. Every year that you do not smoke, your chances of developing lung cancer drop further. By the fifteenth year, your chances of developing lung cancer are about the same as those of a person who has never smoked.

Secondhand Smoke
Also known as passive smoking, people exposed to secondhand smoke on a regular basis will have a higher risk of developing lung cancer, even if they do not smoke themselves. Studies have shown that those who live with a smoker have a 24% greater risk of developing lung cancer than most non-smokers. Doctors estimate that about 3000 lung cancer deaths a year are related to secondhand smoke.

Asbestos Exposure
Exposure to asbestos is another well-known cause of lung cancer and mesothelioma – cancer of the pleural lining of the lungs. Asbestos was widely used in construction and everyday products in the late 1800s through the 1960s. Asbestos separates into fine silica fibers that become trapped in the tissues of the lungs. Mesothelioma is inextricably linked to asbestos exposure. There are no reported cases of mesothelioma in people who were not exposed to asbestos either in the workplace or through their environment. A non-smoker who was exposed to asbestos has a five times greater risk of developing lung cancer than a non-smoker who was not exposed. Smoking increases the risk dramatically – a smoker who was exposed to asbestos has a risk of developing lung cancer that is 50 to 90 times greater than that of a non-smoker.

Radon Gas
It is estimated that about 12% of lung cancer deaths can be attributed to radon gas, a colorless, odorless gas that is a natural byproduct of the decay of uranium. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that as many as 15% of homes in the United States have unsafe levels of radon gas, which will account for 15,000 to 22,000 deaths from lung cancer annually.

Air Pollution
Scientists estimate that as many as 1% of all lung cancer deaths are attributable to air pollution. They believe that prolonged exposure to very polluted air can raise the risks of developing lung cancer to about the levels of a passive smoker.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF LUNG CANCER

dodibintaro — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:44:59 +0000

Symptoms of lung cancer are varied depending upon where and how widespread the tumor is. Warning signs of lung cancer are not always present or easy to identify. A person with lung cancer may have the following kinds of symptoms:
• No symptoms: In up to 25% of people who get lung cancer, the cancer is first discovered on a routine chest X-ray or CT scan as a solitary small mass sometimes called a coin lesion, since on a two-dimensional X-ray or CT scan, the round tumor looks like a coin.
• Symptoms related to metastasis: Lung cancer that has spread to the bones may produce excruciating pain at the sites of bone involvement. Cancer that has spread to the brain may cause a number of neurologic symptoms that may include blurred vision, headaches, seizures, or symptoms of stoke such as weakness or loss of sensation in parts of the body.
• Paraneoplastic symptoms: Lung cancers frequently are accompanied by symptoms that result from production of hormone-like substances by the tumor cells. These paraneoplastic syndromes occur most commonly with SCLC but may be seen with any tumor type. A common paraneoplastic syndrome associated with SCLC is the production of a hormone called adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) by the cancer cells, leading to oversecretion of the hormone cortisol by the adrenal glands (cushing’s syndrome).
• Nonspecific symptoms: Nonspecific symptoms seen with many cancers, including lung cancers, include weight loss, weakness, and fatigue. Psychological symptoms such as depression and mood changes are also common.

What causes LUNG CANCER

dodibintaro — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:33:40 +0000

Smoking
The incidence of lung cancer is strongly correlated with cigarette smoking, with about 90% of lung cancers arising as a result of tobacco use. The risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked over time; doctors refer to this risk in terms of pack-years of smoking history (the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day multiplied by the number of years smoked). For example, a person who has smoked two packs of cigarettes per day for 10 years has a 20 pack-year smoking history. While the risk of lung cancer is increased with even a 10-pack-year smoking history, those with 30-pack-year histories or more are considered to have the greatest risk for the development of lung cancer. Among those who smoke two or more packs of cigarettes per day, one in seven will die of lung cancer.
Pipe and cigar smoking can also cause lung cancer, although the risk is not as high as with cigarette smoking. While someone who smokes one pack of cigarettes per day has a risk for the development of lung cancer that is 25 times higher than a nonsmoker, pipe and cigar smokers have a risk of lung cancer that is about five times that of a nonsmoker.
Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, many of which have been shown to be cancer-causing, or carcinogenic. The two primary carcinogens in tobacco smoke are chemicals known as nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The risk of developing lung cancer decreases each year following smoking cessation as normal cells grow and replace damaged cells in the lung. In former smokers, the risk of developing lung cancer begins to approach that of a nonsmoker about 15 years after cessation of smoking.
Passive smoking
Passive smoking, or the inhalation of tobacco smoke from other smokers sharing living or working quarters, is also an established risk factor for the development of lung cancer. Research has shown that nonsmokers who reside with a smoker have a 24% increase in risk for developing lung cancer when compared with other nonsmokers. An estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths occur each year in the U.S. that are attributable to passive smoking.
Asbestos fibers
Asbestos fibers are silicate fibers that can persist for a lifetime in lung tissue following exposure to asbestos. The workplace is a common source of exposure to asbestos fibers, as asbestos was widely used in the past as both thermal and acoustic insulation. Today, asbestos use is limited or banned in many countries, including the U.S. Both lung cancer and mesothelioma (cancer of the pleura of the lung as well as of the lining of the abdominal cavity called the peritoneum) are associated with exposure to asbestos. Cigarette smoking drastically increases the chance of developing an asbestos-related lung cancer in exposed workers. Asbestos workers who do not smoke have a fivefold greater risk of developing lung cancer than nonsmokers, and those asbestos workers who smoke have a risk that is 50 to 90 times greater than nonsmokers.
Radon gas
Radon gas is a natural, chemically inert gas that is a natural decay product of uranium. Uranium decays to form products, including radon, that emit a type of ionizing radiation. Radon gas is a known cause of lung cancer, with an estimated 12% of lung-cancer deaths attributable to radon gas, or 15,000-22,000 lung-cancer-related deaths annually in the U.S., making radon the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. As with asbestos exposure, concomitant smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer with radon exposure. Radon gas can travel up through soil and enter homes through gaps in the foundation, pipes, drains, or other openings. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one out of every 15 homes in the U.S. contains dangerous levels of radon gas. Radon gas is invisible and odorless, but it can be detected with simple test kits.
Familial predisposition
While the majority of lung cancers are associated with tobacco smoking, the fact that not all smokers eventually develop lung cancer suggests that other factors, such as individual genetic susceptibility, may play a role in the causation of lung cancer. Numerous studies have shown that lung cancer is more likely to occur in both smoking and nonsmoking relatives of those who have had lung cancer than in the general population. Recent research has localized a region on the long (q) arm of human chromosome number 6 that is likely to contain a gene that confers an increased susceptibility to the development of lung cancer in smokers.
Prior history of lung cancer
Survivors of lung cancer have a greater risk than the general population of developing a second lung cancer. Survivors of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs, see below) have an additive risk of 1%-2% per year for developing a second lung cancer. In survivors of small cell lung cancers (SCLCs, see below), the risk for development of second cancers approaches 6% per year.
Air pollution
Air pollution from vehicles, industry, and power plants can raise the likelihood of developing lung cancer in exposed individuals. Up to 1% of lung cancer deaths are attributable to breathing polluted air, and experts believe that prolonged exposure to highly polluted air can carry a risk for the development of lung cancer similar to that of passive smoking.

How common is Lung Cancer

dodibintaro — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:28:30 +0000

Lung cancer is responsible for the most cancer deaths in both men and women throughout the world. The American Cancer Society estimates that 215,020 new cases of lung cancer in the U.S. will be diagnosed and 161,840 deaths due to lung cancer will occur in 2008. According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, approximately one out of every 14 men and women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer of the lung or airways at some point in their lifetime.
Lung cancer is predominantly a disease of the elderly; almost 70% of people diagnosed with the condition are over 65 years of age, while less than 3% of cases occur in people under age 45.
Lung cancer was not common prior to the 1930s but increased dramatically over the following decades as tobacco smoking increased. In many developing countries, the incidence of lung cancer is beginning to fall following public education about the dangers of cigarette smoking and effective smoking-cessation programs. Nevertheless, lung cancer remains among the most common types of cancers in both men and women worldwide.
Lung cancer has also surpassed breast cancer in causing the most cancer-related deaths in women in the United States.

Lung Cancer is difficult to detect

dodibintaro — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:23:08 +0000

Lung cancer is difficult to detect early because symptoms usually do not appear until the disease is advanced. Symptoms depend on the location of the tumor and can include persistent cough, hoarseness or wheezing, shortness of breath, sputum streaked with blood, recurring bronchitis or pneumonia, weight loss and loss of appetite, and chest pain.
Physicians use several techniques to diagnose lung cancer. Chest x-rays and CT (computed tomography) scans help locate abnormal areas in the lung. A new technique called spiral CT may offer a novel approach for screening for the disease. A sputum sample can also be analyzed for the presence of cancerous cells.
Types of Lung Cancer
There are two major types of lung cancer: small cell and non-small cell. They each affect different types of cells in the lung and grow and spread in a different ways, so doctors treat them differently. A diagnosis will include not only the type of lung cancer but the stage, which describes the extent and spread of the disease at diagnosis.
Non-small-cell lung cancer, the most common type of lung cancer, is usually associated with a history of smoking, passive smoking, or exposure to radon. It can be further divided into three categories named for the type of cell found in the tumor: squamous cell carcinoma (also called epidermoid carcinoma), adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. Non-small-cell lung cancer is described using four stages. In stage one the cancer is confined to the lung; in stages two and three the cancer is confined to the chest; and in stage four the cancer has spread from the chest.
Small-cell lung cancer, also called oat cell lung cancer, accounts for a quarter of all lung cancer cases and is associated with a history of smoking. The extent of the disease is described using a two-stage system. A case can be limited, meaning the cancer is confined to a portion of the chest, or extensive, meaning the cancer has spread throughout or from the chest.
Orthodox Treatment
Lung cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of these modalities, depending on the type and stage of the disease. For non-small-cell lung cancers that have not spread beyond the lung, surgery is most often used. Over the past several years, surgical techniques for treating lung cancer have improved greatly. When the disease has spread, treatment will often include radiation therapy and chemotherapy. For small-cell lung cancer, chemotherapy, often combined with radiation therapy, is now the most common treatment. Radiation therapy is also sometimes used in both forms of lung cancer to relieve pain and bleeding and alleviate problems with swallowing.
How non-small cell lung cancer is treated
Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are used to treat non-small cell lung cancer. However, these treatments often do not cure the disease.
If lung cancer is found, a patient may want to think about taking part in one of the many clinical trials being done to improve treatment. Clinical trials are ongoing in most parts of the country for all stages of non-small cell lung cancer. Treatment choices can be discussed with a doctor.
Patients with non-small cell lung cancer can be divided into three groups, depending on the stage of the cancer and the treatment that is planned. The first group (stages 0, I, and II) includes patients whose cancers can be taken out by surgery. The operation that takes out only a small part of the lung is called a wedge resection. When a whole section (lobe) of the lung is taken out, the operation is called a lobectomy. When one whole lung is taken out, it is called a pneumonectomy.
The second group of patients has lung cancer that has spread to nearby tissue or to lymph nodes. These patients can be treated with radiation therapy alone or with surgery and radiation, chemotherapy and radiation, or chemotherapy alone.
The third group of patients has lung cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Radiation therapy may be used to shrink the cancer and to relieve pain. Chemotherapy may be used to treat some patients in this group.
How small cell lung cancer is treated
There are treatments for all patients with small cell lung cancer. Three kinds of treatment are used: surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Additionally, clinical trials are testing the effect of new therapies on the treatment of small cell lung cancer.
Surgery may be used if the cancer is found only in one lung and in nearby lymph nodes. Because this type of lung cancer is usually not found in only one lung, surgery alone is not often used. Occasionally, surgery may be used to help determine exactly which type of lung cancer the patient has.
Radiation therapy uses x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy for small cell lung cancer usually comes from a machine outside the body (external beam radiation therapy). It may be used to kill cancer cells in the lungs or in other parts of the body where the cancer has spread. Radiation therapy may also be used to prevent the cancer from growing in the brain. This is called prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI). Because PCI may affect brain function, the doctor will help the patient decide whether to have this kind of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy can be used alone or in addition to surgery and/or chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is the most common treatment of all stages of small cell lung cancer. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside the lungs, including cancer cells that have spread to the brain.

WHAT IS LUNG CANCER

dodibintaro — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:01:28 +0000

Lung cancer, like all cancers, results from an abnormality in the body’s basic unit of life, the cell. Normally, the body maintains a system of checks and balances on cell growth so that cells divide to produce new cells only when needed. Disruption of this system of checks and balances on cell growth results in an uncontrolled division and proliferation of cells that eventually forms a mass known as a tumor.

Tumors can be benign or malignant; when we speak of “cancer”, we refer to those tumors that are considered malignant. Benign tumors can usually be removed and do not spread to other parts of the body. Malignant tumors, on the other hand, grow aggressively and invade other tissues of the body, allowing entry of tumor cells into the bloodstream or lymphatic system and then to other sites in the body. This process of spread is termed metastasis; the areas of tumor growth at these distant sites are called metastases. Since lung cancer tends to spread or metastasize very early in its course, it is a very life-threatening cancer and one of the most difficult cancers to treat. While lung cancer can spread to any organ in the body, certain organs — particularly the adrenal glands, liver, brain, and bone — are the most common sites for lung cancer metastasis.
The lung is also a very common site for metastasis from tumors in other parts of the body. Tumor metastases are made up of the same type of cells as the original, or primary, tumor. For example, if prostate cancer spreads via the bloodstream to the lungs, it is metastatic prostate cancer in the lung and is not lung cancer.
The principal function of the lungs is the exchange of gases between the air we breathe and the blood. Through the lung, carbon dioxide is removed from the bloodstream and oxygen from inspired air enters the bloodstream. The right lung has three lobes, while the left lung is divided into two lobes and a small structure called the lingula that is the equivalent of the middle lobe. The major airways entering the lungs are the bronchi, which arise from the trachea. The bronchi branch into progressively smaller airways called bronchioles that end in tiny sacs known as alveoli where gas exchange occurs. The lungs and chest wall are covered with a thin layer of tissue called the pleura.
Lung cancers can arise in any part of the lung, but 90%-95% of the lung cancers are thought to arise from the epithelial, or lining cells of the larger and smaller airways (bronchi and bronchioles); for this reason, lung cancers are sometimes called bronchogenic carcinomas or bronchogenic cancers. Lung cancers can also arise from the pleura (the thin layer of tissue that surrounds the lungs), called mesotheliomas, or rarely from supporting tissues within the lungs, for example, blood vessels.

CELL LUNG CANCER

dodibintaro — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:27:28 +0000

Often, there are areas of pre-cancerous changes in the lung.
As a tumor develops new blood vessels form to nurture the cancer cells. Ultimately, a tumor develops and grows big enough to see on x-rays.

Here are the two major types;

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC),
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Which type is recognized is reliant on how the cells appear when they are examined.
In very rare cases, the cells may have characteristics of both types, and in this instance it is called a Mixed Small Cell/Large Cell Carcinoma (MSCLCC).

Around 13% of all lung cancers are Small Cell (SCLC), and these tend to spread widely through the body. Meaning, management for the tumor should incorporate
Small cell (SCLC) is caused by smoking.
Small Cell (SCLC) cells can replicate rapidly to form large tumors which can then spread to the patient’s lymph nodes and other organs in his body such as the adrenal glands, bones, brain and liver.

About 87% of all lung cancers are Non-Small Cell (NSCLC), of which there are three main types. These types of NSCLC are characterised by the size, shape, and chemical composition of the cells that form the tumor.

* Adenocarcinoma: This cancer accounts for about 40% of all lung cancers, and is found in the external region of the lung.

* Squamous Cell Carcinoma: is also known as Epidermoid Carcinoma.

* Large-Cell Undifferentiated Carcinoma: This type of cancer accounts for about 10% – 15% of lung cancers, and may emerge in any part of the lung. This type of tumor tends to grow and spread very quickly, resulting in a poor prognosis for the patient.

Other tumors can also develop in the lungs in addition to the two main types, SCLC and NSCLC.

Carcinoid tumors account for around 5% of lung tumors. Some of these tumors are non-cancerous. Generally carcinoid tumors are slow-growing tumors called Typical Carcinoid tumors.

LUNG CANCER

dodibintaro — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:13:36 +0000

By : Gary Pearson

Lung cancer is a deadly disease which ultimately results in the death of the person infected by it. But what causes it? It has been reported by research that people diagnosed with lung cancer die within five years. This fact may be frightening. Imagine the thoughts of patients when they are diagnosed with such a frightening thought of lung cancer.

What causes any type of cancer is really still a mystery. However there are suspicions about what causes lung cancer and there are suggested risks. Whenever lung cancer is discussed, the great risk factor focused on is smoking. Nowadays not only is tobacco use considered a risk for lung cancer but second-hand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke is also considered to be a risk.

Other suspected causes of lung cancer are exposure to materials such as radon, asbestos and industrial substances such as arsenic. Some organic chemical are considered to be a risk for lung cancer. Radiation exposure, air pollution and tuberculosis are also suspected regarding what causes lung cancer.

Only if the accurate cause of this disease was known then we could possibly find a cure for this disease. It would result in patients having some signs of hope instead of succumbing to premature death. It is again to be seen what causes lung cancer? Agents which are considered as a cause for this disease must be completely avoided. Remaining as far as possible from these risk factors can definitely allow a person from avoiding this cancer. The odds of smoking men from dying due to lung cancer compared to normal men who do not smoke are as high as 22:1.

compared to non smoking men. The data has been collected with extensive research. It is a good idea to follow the suggestions given on the risk factors to decrease their chance of getting As per studies women also have twelve times more risk of dying from lung cancer compared to the ones who don’t smoke. It is also seen that nonsmoking women have more chances to be diagnosed with lung cancerlung cancer.

SMOKING IS BAD!

dodibintaro — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:08:04 +0000

By : Lindelwa Maselko

Smoking is BAD! Is there still a living soul that doesn’t know and understand this? That can’t be. Media campaigns continue to highlight the dangers so it’s almost impossible to ignore the problem. If you haven’t taken any notice of these messages it’s because you want to ignore them. Lung cancer can affect anyone, so you don’t have to be over 65 to be affected or someone where lung cancer ‘runs in the family’.

For some reason, people are under the impression that you have to be a regular smoker for it to be a hazard, well, think again because if you have just one cigarette it will taint your lungs for a month. Does anyone ever consider what damage just a single pack of 20 will do to them? We’re talking some serious damage here, so, if you’re still on the fence about smoking, I think it’s time for a few recent articles on lung cancer.

Prevention is always better than cure and no-one can say that they weren’t given enough information nowadays to help stop a condition that is preventable. Many medical conditions require a person to stop something with immediate effect and those same people often do but smoking seems to be on its own and common sense doesn’t come into it.

Despite all the warnings, it is only when something serious happens to them that some smokers take notice and start taking heed of the warnings. Smokers are quite happy to go about day to day ignoring articles on lung cancer until they have are diagnosed with a condition of their own because you can’t ignore it anymore. One of the most amusing things I’ve ever seen is a person smoking through the hole cut out of their throat. Now that’s bright!

Smokers may choose to ignore the evidence and the problem but it is not going to go away and it may choose not to ignore you! Any articles on lung cancer, asthma and Bronchitis can inform you of this.

It’s not just smokers who are affected either because those of us that don’t would like to work or have a meal etc.without having to breath in other peoples smoke. The case for this is now so strong, more and more countries and places are making smoking illegal in specific areas so isn’t it time you wised up?

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dodibintaro — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:50:55 +0000

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