Cancer of the lungs produces abnormalities to the tissue of the lung organ. When there is a irregularity in the body's internal system, the cancer leads to an uncontrolled growth in the tissues that eventually forms a mass of tissue called a tumor. The lung's main function is to take in the air we breathe and send it out to other parts of the body. While in this process, the lungs aids the body to eliminate carbon dioxide from the blood stream and promotes fresh air to circulate throughout the body. There are two types of tumors; malignant and benign, Malignant tumors spread more aggressively, while benign tumors usually take a longer time to developed and can be treated without it expanding to other parts of the body.
Lung cancer is classified as a malignant tumor due to the fact that it starts to grow outward very early on in its development. When cancer growth continues to a certain extent then it becomes capable of metastasizing to other sections of the body to cause further damage. The organs that have a greater chance of being infected by cancer are the liver, adrenal glands, brain and bone. Metastasizing also more likely to occur easier in the lungs, that are related to other types of cancers that form in other sections of the body. This disease is recorded as the most common cause of death throughout the globe due to its occurence in both male and females. It predominantly affects older persons, most of the persons diagnosed with these disease are 65 years of age and older, about 3% of these diseases occur in persons under the age of 45.
The most popular cause of cancer is cigarettes or tobacco smoking whether first or second hand. Second hand smokers are persons who breathe in smoke released from other persons who smoke in their environment. Smoking is estimated to be linked to approximately 90% of all this disease. Over time continued smoking leads to a heightened possibility of getting this cancer and even other cancer diseases. Persons who are second hand smoking or what is called passive smoking suffer from a 24% increase in developing this disease when compared to a person who is not in an environment filled with smokers. There are reportedly about 3,000 this types of cancer casualties that occur every year in America.Tobacco smoke has over 4,000 chemical compounds that are cancer related, the main carcinogen in tobacco are nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Exposure to a substance known as asbestos is also a leading cause of cancer. Asbestos fibers are silicate fibers which when exposed to can follow persons for a lifetime in the lung tissue. Asbestos is either discontinued or scarcely used in a many countries. Exposure to asbestos along with smoking also increases the possibility of developing an asbestos-related cancer over 50 - 90 folds versus a non-smoker. Other causes of cancer in lungs are related to exposure to environmental factors like air pollution due to vehicle exhaust, power plants, and extracts of chemicals like radon gas which is a emitted from uranium. Persons with a family history of this cases are also more likely to develop the disease. Patients who have previously been treated for this disease maintain an additive risk of 1 - 2% per year for developing a second.
This disease is normally diagnosed by performing a chest radiograph, a bronchoscopy and/ or a Computed tomography. If abnormal patterns are identified then doctors may continue with screening exams and then determine what course of action should be taken next. Cancer in lung is one of the more difficult cancers to treat. Treatment may determined by how much the disease has developed up to the time of detection. At earlier stages doctors will more likely employ chemotherapy or radiation therapy, in other cases infected persons may have to undergo surgery.
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