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.
Lung cancer is categorized on the basis of the morphology of cells as seen under a microscope. Each type of lung cancer has spreads in different ways, and has its own method of treatment.
The most common form of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer, the type that slowly grows and spreads. In this class are large cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma, the three major types of non-small cell lung cancer.
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.
The inhalation of the carcinogens through cigarette smoke is the main cause of lung cancer in both smokers and non-smokers. The risk of contracting lung cancer increases when there is an environmental exposure to radon compounded with smoking. People working in places with exposure to asbestos face another form of lung cancer known as mesothelioma lung cancer.
Lung cancer is most prevalent in people over fifty who have been smoking for many years. Lung cancer symptoms may vary based upon the location of the tumor in the lungs. Patients may suspect lung cancer when they suffer with chronic cough, wheezing, chest pain and recurring lung infections.
The preliminary diagnosis of lung cancer can easily be done by an experienced health care professional. This is based on symptoms, smoking history, medical history, earlier family history of lung cancer and exposure to occupational and environmental risk factors. A second series of tests is performed to confirm the diagnosis. These can include a chest x-ray, which will diagnose small cell or non-small cell lung cancer and gauge the stage to which the cancer has developed. Medical professionals can also confirm whether or not the cancer is localized in 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.
Prevention is always better than a cure, so of course it's best to avoid tobacco use. Stopping smoking is the best way to reduce your chances of having lung cancer. Kick the habit today and you can gradually decrease your lung cancer risk over 10 to 15 years as your lungs recover.
Contributor Ambrose Hutson is an author for numerous web magazines, on health and safety and senior health issues. Click here for other unique 'lung cancer' articles.
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