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An essay on lung cancer
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Cancer has caused a total of 7.6 million deaths annually, or about 13% of deaths worldwide. Lung cancer being the most common type, accounts for 1.37 million of those deaths. But what are the leading factors that cause this type of cancer and what can be done to prevent the increasing number of deaths?
Lung Cancer can be defined as an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in either one or both lungs of an organism. These abnormal cells divide and multiply to create unhealthy tissue or tumors inside of the lungs. These tumors interfere with the lungs ability to deliver oxygen to the body.
Though lung cancer can originate inside of the lungs, it can also originate in other parts of the body. When the cancer begins inside of the lungs it’s called Primary Lung Cancer, when the cancer begins in other parts of the body and spreads to the lungs this is called Secondary Lung Cancer. These two different origins of the cancer cause the treatments and symptoms to very in similarity, though Primary Lung Cancer is the main cause of lung cancer deaths worldwide.
Lung Cancer can be divided additionally into types and stages of development to determine the severity of the disease, there are several types of lung cancer and four stages of development. The two major types of lung cancer include Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). According to the American Cancer Association, 85% of lung cancers are Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, while Small Cell Lung Cancer occurs less frequently with the remaining 15% of lung cancers.
However, there are several subtypes of NSCLC. The most common include: Squamous cell (epidermoid) carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma, and Large cell carcinoma. The subtypes of NSCLC ...
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However, other forms of treatment may also depend much on the type of lung cancer that is being treated and it's staging. Be it the more rapid growing Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) that makes up for between 10% - 15% of all diagnosed cases, or the more common and slower growing Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).
Non-small-cell lung cancer is more common than small-cell lung cancer. It makes up about 80 percent of all diagnosed lung cancers. It is actually four different kinds of lung cancers that grow and respond to treatment in about the same way. These four types of non-small-cell lung cancer are termed squamous cell, adencarcinoma, large cell, and mixed cell. Two other related cancers that are also included in the non-small-cell lung cancers group are carcinoid and mesothelioma. Non-small-cell lung cancer grows more slowly than small-cell lung cancer. Non-small-cell lung cancer tends to grow first in the area where it started then invades the surrounding lung tissue and ribs. It eventually spreads to other areas of the body, mainly bones, brain, and liver.
The leading cause of death in America is lung cancer. Lung cancer is ranked top 10 fatal cancers in the United States. There are many types of ways to get lung cancer. There is radon gas it occurs outdoors naturally. Then there is second hand smoke that comes from other people smoking. People are even getting lung cancer from cancer causing agents, this happens from carcinogens. You can also get it from air pollution indoors and outdoors. Also there are gene-mutations that form cancer causing cells. Then there is the one everyone blamed lung cancer is smoking.
Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in our society. During 1995, approximately 2.1 million people in developed countries died as a result of smoking. One tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths in the United States. Lung Cancer mortality are about 23 times higher for current male smokers and 13 times higher for current female smokers compared to a lifelong never-smoker.
According to “Medical News Today” cancer is a disease that is caused by an over growth of anomalous cells on one or more lungs. Cells often go up the air pipes which can cause difficulty to breath. Due to the over production of cells the tissue cells often begin to over produce; which results in tumors. There are two types of tumors: malignant and benign. Malignant tumors are the more dangerous of the two due to its invasive nature; which makes it cancerous. While benign is not invasive in other words non-cancerous. This is why cancer spreads to multiple areas and can be sometimes very difficult to fight. Cancer cells are abnormal not only because of their evasive nature, but also because of its irregular life cycle. Rather than expire like a regular cell, they continuously grow and duplicate which causes the disease to spread. This makes cell abnormal in shape and other qualities; known as a sickle cell. Due to the large growth and reproduction rate of the cells this makes the spreading of the cancer more rapid. Each cancer has specific symptom, for lung cancer the sympto...
Over the years, the partnership between health ministers and health groups has produced some very substantial gains on the subject of tobacco use. Smoking bans that were thought of as radical 20 years ago are now commonplace. Public awareness of smoking risks has never been higher. And our new Tobacco Act sets a world standard for anti-tobacco legislation.
Both small cell and non-small cell lung cancer affect different types of cells in the lung and spread in different ways. Small cell lung cancer is limited to a section of the chest known as the hemithorax and regional lymph nodes (World Book, “Lung Cancer';). Small cell lung cancer usually exists early and spreads out abruptly (Virtual Hospital, 3/23/99). Non-small cell lung cancer is first confined to the lung, then spreads throughout the chest (MSKCC, “Lung Cancer';). Small cell lung cancer spreads quickly (World Book, “Lung Cancer';).
Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of many cells that appears in one lung or even both. This type of cancer generally lines the air passages in the lungs. These uncontrolled cells grow, not becoming cell tissue, but into tumors (Crosta). Tumors form because the abnormal cells in the lungs are not the right lung cells. They are mutated and cannot be killed like normal. Once the known tumors become oversized, they take over and cause the lung or lungs not to do their jobs (Crosta). There is primary Lung Cancer and secondary. Primary lung cancer is treated differently than secondary because, primary starts in the lungs, while secondary starts somewhere else in the body, making its way to the lungs. Lung cancer is grouped in two categories ' which are non-small cell and small cell (Marks). There are four different types of cancer.
...th chest x-ray does not reduce rate of lung cancer deaths. (2011). Health & Medicine Week, 3314. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/901356988?accountid=89121.
Cancer is defined as where the abnormal cells are divided without any control and they are able to invade into tissues. At times cancer can be cured right away once it is detected through treatments that the doctor recommends, but at times cancer cannot be cured based on what stage the cancer is at. It is very important that every individual gets a physical check up to see if they are diagnosed or detected with any sort of cancer or disease. There are 100 types of cancers out there, but the type of cancer that I will be focusing on is Lung cancer. One of the controversial issues on a lung cancer is the ...
American Cancer Society. "Cigarette Smoking." American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, 17 Jan. 2013. Web.
This represents 4.0% of all male 1.8% of female hospitalisations respectively. The epidemiologic evidence and the corresponding biological understanding of respiratory cancer have supported the conclusion that smoking causes lung cancer. It is well documented that cigarette smoke: · is the major cause of lung cancer (primary carcinoma of the lung). · is a cause of heart disease, chronic lung disease, and oesophageal cancer.
The Web. 05 Mar. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. “Tips From Former Smokers.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 08 Nov. 2013.
"State of Tobacco Control 2013." State of Tobacco Control® 2013. American Lung Association, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
January 2006: Leave these poor smokers alone! Retrieved from http://heartland.org/policy-documents/january-2006-leave-those-poor-smokers-alone 7. Daynard R., (2013). The 'Secondary'. Regulatory Approaches to Ending Cigarette-Caused Death and Disease in the United States.