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

Lung Cancer, like any other type of cancer, is the uncontrollable growth of cells in the lung tissue. The main causes that contribute to lung cancer include inhaling carcinogens (basically, smoking), exposure to ionizing radiation, viral infections and even air pollution. These factors basically damage the tissues lining the bronchi in the lung, leading the cancer to develop further (Vaporciyan & Nesbitt JC, 2000). Primary lung cancers that develop in the epithelial tissues of the lung are known as carcinomas and claim the top spot in terms of leading cancer-related death causes. As of 2004, lung cancer

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

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.

Have you ever been in the car with your family members and they’re smoking, and you're not able to catch a breath? You get annoyed because you're coughing and your eyes are becoming bloodshot, you're trying so hard to hold your breath, well that kind of stuff can kill you. Therefore inhalation of harmful chemicals is a main cause of lung cancer.

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

Cigarette smoking is the major cause, although some people diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked. Occupational exposures to asbestos, radon, hydrocarbons and metals (e.g. chromium, nickel) are also associated with lung cancer. The major way to prevent lung cancer is by not smoking or quitting smoking. However about 37% of Australians

The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking cigarettes. 80% of people who have lung cancer got it from smoking. The longer you smoke cigarettes the better chance of getting lung cancer. Smoking at a young age increases the chance of getting lung cancer more then starting to smoke as an adult. The sooner you quit, the better your life will be. Passive smoking (secondhand smoking) can give you lung cancer if exposed for a long time to it.

• The most typical treatment for cancer is chemotherapy. This treatment is used to heal early stages of cancer to get rid of any cancer cells that might not heal by surgery and to minimize the risk of the cancer coming back. • Radiation therapy may be used to reduce tumours and remove all cancer cells. The oncologist looks at numerous of factors that help him to formulate the treatment, these include: type of lung cancer the patient has, the medical history of the patient, the stage of the cancer, results of blood tests and scans and what the patient prefer 3

For this project I decided to research lung cancer. My grandfather had lung cancer for years and is cleared for now. One main cause of lung cancer is smoking. Heavier smokers have a bigger chance of getting this disease unlike light smokers. Young smokers also have a increasing risk of getting lung cancer too. When you are exposed to gases or if you are a welder; have an increasing chance. People ages 45 and 75 get lung cancer primarily.

Smoking tobacco products is the cause of most cases of lung cancer. This type of cancer can also result from exposure to certain substances, such as radon or asbestos. By making some lifestyle changes and taking some precautions, you can reduce your risk of getting lung cancer.

Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. There are many ways that lung cancer is caused, it can be inherited, you could be exposed to chemicals that damage the cells and tissue in your lungs/air pollution and smoking. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer as the chemical ‘carcinogens’ damages the cells within your lungs and is pumped out to the other organs in your body.

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death around the world because of its high mortality rate. Smoking is a very common risk factor for lung cancer and other pulmonary diseases. Asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), and pneumonia are diseases in the lungs, which cause inflammation in the passages of air the lungs and are said to increase the risk of lung cancer, these diseases also affect people at any age.

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

Lung cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in one or both of the lungs. This is usually in the cells that line the air passages. The abnormal cells that do not develop into healthy lung tissues divide rapidly to form tumors. Lungs are the spongy organs in the chest that take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide when breathing. They are essential to live, so lung cancer can be very dangerous. This disease is quite common, making it important to know at least a little bit about. Lung cancer is a disease that has many causes and life-affecting symptoms; even though treatment can be long and hard, if caught early enough, there is a good chance of survival.