Article Advise

submitted: Aug 13th 2008 | by: RichardHEalom | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 558 | |

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is a disease of out of control cell growth in tissues of the lungs. It is one of the most common cancers in the US, accounting for about 15 % of all cases, or 170,000 new cases per year. It leads the pack as the worst cancer killer in America, taking more lives each year than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined, according to the American Cancer Society. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the US and is responsible for as many deaths as breast and all gynecological cancers combined.

SMOKING: Smoking, radon, and second hand smoke are the primary causes. Smoking causes an estimated 160,000* deaths in the US. Smoking leads to 85 % to 90 % of all lung cancers.

Smoking affects non-smokers by exposing them to second hand smoke. If a person stops smoking, this chance steadily decreases as damage to the lungs is repaired and contaminant particles are gradually removed.

RADON: An invisible and odorless gas generated by the breakdown of radioactive radium, which in turn is the product of decaying uranium, found in the earth's crust.

Radon leads the way as the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. It causes between 15,000 and 22,000 deaths each year in the United States -- 12 % of all lung cancer deaths are linked to radon.

RISK FACTORS: Include smoking cigarettes or cigars, now or in the past. Not all cases are due to smoking, but the role of passive smoking is increasingly being recognized as a risk factor, leading to policy interventions to decrease undesired exposure of non-smokers to others' tobacco smoke.

A smoker who is also exposed to radon has a much higher risk. The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer. High levels of pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may also increase that risk.

SYMPTOMS: May include Persistant cough, Hoarseness, Coughing up blood, Loss of Weight and Appetite, Shortness of breath, Fever without a known reason, Wheezing, Repeating bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia and Chest pain.

About 10% of people do not have symptoms at diagnosis; these cancers are incidentally found on routine chest x-rays. In fact, lung cancer can spread outside the lungs without causing any symptoms.

TREATMENT: Treatment depends on the cancer's specific cell type, how far it has spread, and the patient's performance status. It also depends on the stage, or how advanced it is.

Treatment choices should be discussed with Your doctor. It may include chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. In recent years, various molecular targeted therapies have been developed as treatments.

CONCLUSION: Lung cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in most western countries, and it is the leading cause of cancer deaths. It is the most common cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, accounting for nearly 33% of cancer deaths annually in the United States.

It has become the subject of an enormous amount of research. Although the number of men dying from it is declining in western countries, it is actually increasing for women due to the increasing habit of smoking by this group. We already know that the best way to prevent lung cancer is to quit (or never start) the habit. Three to five years after quitting, the risk of getting the disease is cut in half.

About the Author

Richard H. Ealom is an expert ezinearticles.com writer and has written many articles on diseases,causes,cures and author of this article. To find out more about Cancer please go to the website "Cancer Breakthrough USA!"

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