Overview of Lung cancer Essay

What are lung cancers? Lung cancers are the abnormal cells which grow in uncontrolled manner in one or both lungs. They do not function as normal lung cells and do not develop into healthy lung tissue. The abnormal cells can grow, form tumours and interfere with the normal functions of the lung (Lungcancer.org, 2015). Lung cancers can be divided into two major types, namely non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancers (SCLC). NSCLC can be further classified into three main subtypes, namely adenocarcinoma, squamous-cell carcinoma and large-cell carcinoma (Longo & Harrison, 2012). Lung cancers can be diagnosed by chest X-ray, computerised tomography (CT) scan, positron emission tomography-computerised tomography (PET-CT) scan, bronchoscopy and biopsy (Nhs.uk, 2015). Unfortunately, lung cancers are often diagnosed at the later stages. This is due to the unrecognisable symptoms and warning signs at the earlier stages. NSCLC are often diagnosed at stage IV which accounts for 30-40% of cases whereas 60% of SCLC is diagnosed at stage IV. Lung cancer usually originates from the cells lining the bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli. Carcinogens especially tobacco smoke will alter the gene expression of the normal human lung cells, resulting in cell mutation. The proto-oncogenes will be converted to mutated form, oncogenes. Mutation leads to the decreased expression of the tumour suppressor genes. This results in uncontrolled cell proliferation, cell

One other treatment for lung cancer is radiation. Doctors can use radiation before surgery to shrink a tumor. After

A common form of cancer that is very popular today is lung cancer. Lung cancer is a very dangerous form that can cause problems in simple body functions. These simple body functions are short breath and general fatigue. Lung cancer is commonly formed from smokers that has been exposed to that activity for numerous years. Lung cancer can also be spread by being exposed to asbestos or other pollutants. This form of cancer has many risk factors to it. These risk factors are high levels of air pollution, arsenic drinking water, and radon gas. Radon gas is a gas that is highly radioactive and is very sensitive to the body. Once radon is exposed to the body, it has a very high respiration rate which initially divide its radioactive cells- causing more significant damage to the body.

However, there are stages in the lives of all humans when the body finds itself in a position where it is no longer able to defend itself against ailments and diseases and eventually may even lose the battle. One such disease which claims many lives every year in this manner is Cancer. So far so, there has been no cure for Cancer but some medicines and treatments are now available which can slow down and in some cases can even alter the effects of Cancer, depending on the stage at which the disease is at that moment. For this paper however we would concentrate on Lung Cancer and its effects.

The treatments for lung cancer depends on the stage and type of lung cancer and involves Surgery, Radiation therapy, Chemotherapy, Targeted therapy, and Lung cancer is usually treated with a combination of therapies in general. In surgery the tumor and the nearby lymph nodes in the chest are typically removed to offer the best chance for a cure. For non-small cell lung cancer, a lobectomy which involves the removal of the entire lobe where the tumor is located has shown to be very effective. Unfortunately, Surgery may not be possible in some patient due to the stage and type of lung cancer they have. Chemotherapy involves drugs used to kill cancer cells. A combination of medications is often used and may be prescribed before or after surgery, or radiation therapy. It can improve survival and lessen lung cancer symptoms in all patients, even those with widespread lung cancer. Radiation therapy contains the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells. Side effects include fatigue, malaise, loss of appetite, and skin irritation at the treatment site. Radiation pneumonitis is the irritation and inflammation of the lung, which occurs in 15% of patients. It is important that the radiation treatments avoid the healthy parts of the lung.

Treatment: As long as the cancer has not spread to outside of the lung, it can be removed with surgical resection. There are now less invasive ways to remove cancer from the lungs, such as using a small video camera to see inside the chest, resulting in smaller incisions. There has very recently been a new way to treat non small cell lung cancer that would otherwise be inoperable. Shown to be more effective than normal radiation therapy and simply observing the cancers progress, stereotatic body radiation therapy can ???. Laser treatment is sometimes used to unblock air passages that are blocked by a tumour and attempt to control some spreading of the cancer cells. It is different to the other ‘treatments’ as it doesn’t actually provide a solution to getting rid of the cancer, but makes the symptoms more bearable for the patient.

Up to 25% of people with Lung Cancer don’t have symptoms, the other 75% of people do have symptoms such as; a new cough, or a cough that doesn’t go away, or changes is a good sign. Or with smokers they sometimes have chronic coughing and if it changes in how severe it is or how often they cough that could be a red flag. Chest, shoulder, and back pain that also does not go away and gets worse with deep breathing is also a sign.

Lung cancer has multiple ways of impacting a body. This depends on the stage of lung cancer and when it becomes diagnosed. At early stages, lung cancer patients are often unaware that they have the disease. As the disease becomes more advanced, variable symptoms can develop. They often present with respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, or blood with coughing. Common places

There are clinical trials that are working through new chemotherapy regimens, precision medicine or targeted therapy, ALCHEMIST, AGFR, angiogenesis inhibitors, cryotherapy, and IGRT. Surgery includes pneumonectomies, segmentectomies, lobectomies, and thoractomies. A pneumonectomy is the removal of the entire lung; a segmentectomy is the removal of a small segment of the lung; a lobectomy is the removal of a lobe of the lung; and a thoracotomy is the removal of cancerous lung tissues. In some cases, chemotherapy will follow up a surgery for lung cancer. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to treat a disease. With cancer, there is adjuvant chemotherapy and preoperative chemotherapy. Adjuvant is after surgery while preoperative is before surgery. If a patient is of advanced age, or has other medical conditions that will make it harder for the patient to undergo surgery, they can have radiation done. Radiation uses high energy particles or waves to damage cancer cells. Lastly there is a combination of these techniques. A patient can have radiation before a surgery, chemotherapy before a surgery or after, or a patient can have a combination of radiation and chemotherapy. A patient can pick any way they would like, but the choice needs to look at how the patient is doing, what stage they are in, any other medical problems, and how they want to feel going through all of

As generations of diseases and cures continue to be created, the increase of cancer multiply each day. Although there are many recurring cancers through genes and natural behavior, lung cancer is one of the recurrent cancers that continue to grow; either it has to do with natural behavior or genetics. Lung cancer begins to occur when cells in your lungs begin to grow uncontrollably. This disease is infectious and severe because not only will the cancer affect your lungs which affects your breathing, but also spread throughout your body and affect other organs as well

Affecting more than 85% of lung cancer patients, there are more subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), smoking causes about 90% of the lung cancers diagnosed. The risk mainly depends on how often and how much you smoked. Breathing in secondhand smoke raises the risk for developing lung cancer. Research shows that smoking marijuana may help the cancer cells grow even more. However, there is no direct link between smoking marijuana and developing lung cancer. Being constantly exposed to high levels of air pollution and drinking water that contains a high level of arsenic can increase your risk for lung cancer. Also, a history of radiation therapy to the lungs increases your risk for lung cancer (NLM). Early lung cancer may not show any symptoms, but some are: chest pain, cough that does not go away, coughing up blood, fatigue, shortness of breath, and wheezing. In later stages of NSCLC is: bone pain or tenderness (NLM). 39% of NSCLC occur in the small intestine. Obviously, non-small cell cancer mainly occurs in the digestive system and intestinal tracts of humans

Lung Cancer is one of the most deadly types of cancer. ?Lung cancer kills more Americans than the next five cancers combined? (Jameson). Lung cancer can be caused by smoking, second hand smoke, pollution, and chemicals. ?Some symptoms of lung cancer may be someone who has a cough that doesn?t go away or gets worse, chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing or coughing or laughing, hoarseness, weight loss and loss of appetite, coughing up blood or rust- colored spit, shortness of breath, felling tired or weak, infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that don?t go away or keep coming back, new onset of wheezing, and often showing no symptoms until it?s too late? (Ungar). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a risk factor for developing lung cancer, and have a poor chance of treatment after having lung cancer. People don?t know cancer can kill them. There four stages of lung cancer one through four. . The four stages of lung cancer are in stage one the cancer is only in the lungs and nowhere else yet. In stage two the cancer is in the lungs and is moving nearby the lymph nodes. The third stage of lung cancer has spread to the middle of the chest. In the last and final stage of cancer is the worse of them all it has went into both lungs and fluid around the lung or to other parts of the body such as organs or liver

Lungs are located in the either side of your chest. When you breathe, air goes through your nose, down your windpipe, and into the lungs where it spreads through tubes called bronchi. Most lung cancer cells begin in the cells that line these tubes. Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs (Lungcancer.org). In biology, I learned that a cancer cell is basically a dead cell. The cancer cell is a failed cell, it doesn’t work, or it just doesn’t reproduce at all. Although researchers found that it takes series of mutation to create a lung cancer cell (Lungcancer.org).

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

Being familiar with the symptoms of lung cancer can help you get it diagnosed and treated in the quickest manner possible and avoid confusing it with some other lung condition. This is essential to ensuring that your odds of beating it are as high as they can be and that you don 't have to experience the devastating symptoms that can occur when lung cancer remains untreated over an extended period of time.