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.
The categories of lung cancer are based morphology of the cells as seen under a microscope. The two types of lung cancer have their treatment methods, as they spread in different ways.
The regularly occurring lung cancer is non-small lung cancer, which grows and spreads slowly. The three major kinds of non-small cell lung cancer are large cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma.
Instances of small cell lung cancer are not so common as that of non-small lung cancer. This type of lung cancer spreads rapidly and may affect different organs of the body. This type of lung cancer is also known as oat cell cancer.
Lung cancer has recently been recognized as the deadliest form of cancer in many of the developed nations. In the United States alone, an estimated 170,000 people die from the disease each year. While changes to the lungs can begin almost immediately upon exposure to carcinogens, lung cancer itself can take years to develop.
Inhaling the carcinogens found in cigarette smoke is the main cause of the lung in smokers and non-smokers alike. When there is an environmental exposure to radon compounded with smoking, the risk of lung cancer greatly increases. There is another type of lung cancer, known as mesothelioma, an occupational hazard among people who work around asbestos.
Most people affected by lung cancer are over the age of fifty and are long-term smokers. Symptoms can vary depending upon the location of the tumor within the lungs. Some common symptoms include chronic cough, chest pain, wheezing, and recurring lung infections.
Diagnosis of lung cancer can easily be done by an experienced health care professional based on your symptoms, smoking history, medical history, earlier family history of lung cancer, and exposure to occupational and environmental materials. The affirmative diagnosis can be completed with a chest X-ray. Different tests are available to diagnose small cell or non-small lung cancer to gauge the stage of the cancer. Medical professionals also diagnose whether the lung cancer is localized in your lung or spreading to other parts of your body.
There are several treatment options for lung cancer patients. Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses medications to eliminate the cancerous cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays and X-Rays for cell elimination. Surgery is another option in which the cancerous tumor is removed from the body. There is a moderate success rate of treating early stage lung cancer, although treatment of advanced stage lung cancer is considered to be difficult.
As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you smoke, protect yourself from lung cancer by butting out for good. If you quit smoking now, you can gradually decrease your risk of cancer over the next 10 to 15 years as your lungs recover.