Know About Deadly Disease - Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is mostly treated by surgery but it is possible only sometimes, which is operable at the time of diagnosis. This treatment includes the removal of a cancerous tumor or entire lobe of the lung. In this type of cancer there is a possibility of reappearance of cancer after surgery. In order to avoid reappearance, chemotherapy is a very successful treatment nowadays.

Chemotherapy is the treatment that uses drugs to kill or stop the growth of cancer cells. It also reduces the pain and other problems caused due to lung cancer. Chemotherapy drugs are given via injecting in vein through catheter and thin tube or as pill and thus chemo drugs reach in all parts of the body. Chemotherapy treatment depends on the type of cancer, stage of cancer and current health of the patient.

The growth, even though it might begin in the lungs, can move to other organs within the body. This is known as metastasis. Metastasis is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer related death in men and the second most in women. It is responsible for 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually. How do you know if you should be tested for lung cancer Some symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing up blood, and massive amounts of weight loss.

Most lung cancer patients are treated with chemotherapy but some are able to be treated through surgical procedures. There are two types of lung cancer. They are small cell lung carcinoma and non-small cell carcinoma. The latter is treated with surgery.

In 2005 according to the American Cancer Society and the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) approximately 555,312 people died of lung cancer in the USA which accounted for about 22.8% of all deaths in the US.
The American Cancer Society and the CDC estimates that in 2008 over 215,020 new cases of lung cancer will exist. Within these stats around 114,000 men and 100,000 women will be involved. Lung cancer is the second biggest killer among people. And in 2008 out of 745,180 men tested, 15% have lung cancer and out of 692,000 women tested, 14% lung have some form of cancer. The top killer for men is prostate and the top for women is breast cancer.

Nicotine is highly addictive, smoke containing nicotine is inhaled into the lungs, and the nicotine reaches your brain just six seconds. Nicotine in small doses ask as the stimulant to the brain. In larger doses of lethal poison affecting the heart, blood, and hormones. One of the reasons people smoke is to calm their nerves.

New research indicates that higher intakes of vitamin E in the forms of alpha, beta and gamma-tocopherol may be associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer. In this study population, Vitamin E as alpha-tocopherol reduced the risk of lung cancer by as much as 61 percent.

Small cell lung cancer is detected with the help of an X-ray machine in addition to physical examinations, sputum tests and laboratory tests. A medical professional will also use a bronchoscope to get a detailed look inside the lungs. Despite huge medical advances in the treatment of cancer, there is yet no cure found for this type of cancer.

The detection of non-small lung cancer employs much the same methods as those of small. In addition it also uses Positron Emission Topography (PET) and CAT scans to locate the exact positions of the tumors. Some of the more common symptoms of non-small lung caner include breathing difficulties, persistent coughing, presence of blood in the sputum, chest pains, loss of appetite and an overall run-down feeling.


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