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Lung Cancer Essay

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In 2013 there were an estimated 159,480 deaths due to lung cancer in the United States alone (Lung Cancer). Lung cancer is an unrelenting disease that is caused by many environmental factors and personal habits. It begins as mutations within a cell’s DNA and eventually progresses to a tumor which can then spread to various other parts of the body. There is no cure for lung cancer presently, however there are numerous treatments available to patients in hopes of eradicating or at least controlling the disease. In order to treat and prevent lung cancer it is imperative to first understand what lung cancer actually is. Lung cancer is defined as being the unchecked development of abnormal cells inside one or both lungs (Lung Cancer 101). …show more content…

An example would be if an individual developed lung cancer and thereafter the cancer cells travelled to the liver. The new cancer in the liver would need to be dealt with by means of treatments specific for lung cancer and not liver cancer. This process can happen reversely, with either lung cancer spreading to other areas or other areas with cancer spreading to the lungs. There are two major types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer, also known as SCLC, and non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most frequent form of lung cancer accounting for roughly 85% of cases. Small cell lung cancer is considerably rarer, only being diagnosed in 15% of lung cancer patients (About Lung). Non-small cell lung cancer gets its name from the cells being examined under a microscope and observing the cells are considerably larger versus the cells of small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer typically develops at a slower pace compared to the rate of small cell cancer and comes in three different forms: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma forms in the cells that cover the airways that lead to the lungs, also called the bronchial tubes. Adenocarcinoma begins in cells that make

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