Lung Cancer: Research Project Review

Imagine you are running and with each step your breath becomes shorter and shorter. Your lungs are working twice as hard and you have not even gone half way. Sweat is running down your forehead as is becomes harder for you to breath. You used to be able to run with such ease but now you are out of breath. While thinking back at what has changed to make your breathing so heavy you drop your pack of cigarettes. Smoking cigarettes is a dangerous habit. Not only can it cause cancer and other health problems to yourself but it can also pose a risk to others. Many people get addicted to smoking cigarettes. They may have been pressured into trying one or have seen a commercial about smoking and wanted to try it out for himself. Some find pleasure in smoking and use it as a relaxation from their stressful lives but that is not a good enjoyment.

This paper discusses in distinct detail the pathology of lung cancer, specifically malignant tumors. This investigation into the cancer touches on many different subjects that include: the history of the disease and how it came to be so prevalent, it’s cellular origins, how it is diagnosed within a patient, the different treatments used to fight it, and the survival rates for people with any sort of lung cancer. The paper also goes in depth about the use of x-rays and how they are used to find lung cancer. There are many resources used for this paper and they are cited as necessary.

Lung cancer leads with both the number of diagnostics and deaths of cancer. Although it is typically caused by smoking, Lauren developed lung cancer because of the harmful chemicals and radiation that she was exposed to on a daily basis. She began to experience a cough that would not go away, chest pain, wheezing, shortness of breath, and even coughing up bloody phlegm. Some patients are lucky. Cancer is caught in the first or second stage, but because the symptoms are not common or regular until a later stage, it sometimes goes undetected until it is too late. Lauren was diagnosed with stage 3 because she was unable to detect any problems early on. In Jane E. Brody’s article, “Screening, and Enabling, Smokers” she interviewed Dr. Russell P. Harris, who stated, “’At best,’ he said, ‘screening might reduce lung cancer deaths by 8,000 a year. But in the year 2000 alone, smoking cessation reduced lung cancer deaths by 70,000’” (Brody 1). Cancer is not a death sentence, and one can often prevent it from developing in extremely simple ways. If it is not prevented, cancer patients go through a number of symptoms that drastically affect their life, and their loved ones’ lives. The first symptom begins with drowsiness and loss of energy.

From my studies, I have been able to demonstrate several links between lung cancer and smoking. It is indeed scientifically proven, that smoking is one of few factors that develop lung cancer – in fact it is the greatest. There are several pieces of evidence that support this theory, and are included later in this report.

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, but more importantly, it has a very low survival rate. The sad truth is that nearly all cases of lung cancer could have been prevented, simply by not smoking. Mr. Ward is a perfect example of this in the case study. Having smoked for approximately 67 years, it was only a matter of time before he developed some type of cancer, in this case lung cancer. This paper will describe how lung cancer, specifically squamous cell cancer of the right lung, affects Mr. Ward’s body, beginning with the potential and actual risk factors for lung cancer. Followed by changes that occur in the respiratory system as a result of lung cancer, and ending with the organs at risk as lung cancer spreads.

|Specific Purpose: |To inform readers on the causes, effects and treatments of lung cancer. |

Lung cancer is a kind of cancer that begins in the lungs. Lungs are the spongy organs in the chest that are responsible for taking in oxygen when one inhales and releases carbon dioxide when one exhales. Lung cancer is the principal causation of cancer related deaths in the United States, amongst both women and men. It claims more lives annually than does breasts, ovarian, prostate and colon cancers, all combined. People that smoke have the highest chances of suffering this ailment. The risk of this form of cancer increases with the number of cigarettes one smokes and the duration that one smokes. Lung cancer causes the demise of more than one million people worldwide

Lung cancer is the number one killer of cancers of both men and women here in the United States. It accounts for 28% of the death rates due to cancer. In 1999, it is estimated that 1,221,800 new cases of cancer are expected to occur and out of these 171,600 are to be cases of lung cancer. (Meyer 1990)

Lung cancer has been the most common cancer in the world for several decades. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates for 2012 was 1.8 million new cases which constituted 12.9% of the total number of new cancers diagnosed worldwide. Fifty eight percent of which occurred in the less developed regions. Lung cancer remains the most common cancer in men worldwide (1.2 million, 16.7% of the total) with the highest estimated age-adjusted incidence rates in Central and Eastern Europe (53.5 per 100,000) and

Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women with an estimated 222,500 new cases expected to be diagnosed in 2017, and an estimated 155,870 deaths, more than any other cancer site (1). A minority of lung cancers (only 16%) are diagnosed at a localized stage which is the only window of disease that is potentially curable with surgery (2). Nonetheless, 5-year survival ranges between 30-50% for lung cancers diagnosed at stage I or II, thus despite early detection and curative resection, a significant proportion of patients will die from recurrent disease within 5 years (1, 2).

Lung cancer is considered to be the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. There are approximately about 180,000 cases that are diagnosed in America, considering that 90% dies thru lung cancer alone. Despite of its number, it is the most preventable of all the cancers. Like every cancer it spreads out fast if not taken seriously, this due the abnormal growth of cells. The abnormal cell growth often leads to the formation of tumor. This cancer is very common and very deadly. The following common symptoms of lung cancer may include excessive coughing, chest pain, shortness in breath, hoarse voice, swelling on the face and neck, unexplained loss of appetite and tiredness. It may be hard to determine, if a person has a lung cancer. The

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, among both men and women. (Mayo Clinic, 2013) Lung cancer begins in the lungs and usually doesn’t start showing signs or symptoms until the more advanced stages. There are three main types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer which includes four stages of cancer, small cell lung cancer which includes limited or extensive stages of cancer, and last but not least is carcinoid tumor. Lung cancer is a deadly disease that can be caused by smoking, people that are exposed to second hand smoke and can also affect those who have not smoked or never had exposure to second hand smoke. People who smoke have the greatest risk of lung cancer. (Mayo Clinic, 2013) Smokers who quit smoking, even after

“Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of death in both men and women in the US, with over 158,900 deaths in 1999. Worldwide, lung cancer kills over 1 million people a year. Extensive prospective epidemiologic data clearly establish cigarette smoking as the major cause of lung cancer. It is estimated that about 90% of male lung cancer deaths and 75–80% of lung cancer deaths in the US are caused by smoking each year” (Hecht, 1999). Clearly, lung cancer is an important and widespread disease that constitutes a major public health problem. This was not always so. Some 150 years ago, it was an extremely rare disease. In 1878, malignant lung tumors represented only 1% of all cancers seen at autopsy in the Institute of Pathology of the

While much research has been conducted on the causes and treatments of lung cancer, there is much to be done to help promote good health choices. The risks of smoking increase the chance of being diagnosed with lung cancer. Air pollution is also a contributor. Marketing better health choices, public awareness, and education can help prevent this disease. Lung cancer is defined as abnormal cell tissue that forms in tissues of the lungs . It is estimated that there are 224,210 new cases every year, while the estimated deaths are numbered at 159,260 per year. There are several options of treatment and are as follows: Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Immunotherapy and Vaccine Therapy. Research and advertisement has brought about much change to the public awareness.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Malaysia for both men and woman. Your lungs are two spongy organs in your chest. The left lung is divided into two lobes or sections, and the right lung has three lobes. When you breadth in air enters your nose or mouth and passes into your trachea or windpipe, at the carina the trachea divides into two bronchi then branches into smaller bronchioles. The bronchioles end in tiny air sacs or alveoli. In the alveoli the oxygen and the air you inhale passes into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide in your body passes out of the blood stream. The carbon dioxide is expelled from your body when you exhale. Your lungs are in cased by pleura, a thin membrane that protects them and helps them slide back and forth as you breathe in and out. Underneath your lungs is the diaphragm a smooth thin muscle that helps your lungs expand and contract as you breathe. Your lungs are connected to small collection of immune system cells called lymph nodes by way of lymphatic vesicles. You have groups of these lymph nodes near your lungs above your collar bones and behind your breast bone as well as in other parts of your body. Lung cancer is most commonly start in the bronchi, but they can also begin in the trachea, bronchioles, or alveoli.