The uncontrollable growth of lung tissue cells leads to tumors and consequent lung cancer. It is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women between the ages 45 and 70 and exists as two kinds. Primary lung cancer starts in the lungs and secondary lung cancer that starts somewhere else in the body and spreads to the lungs.
Most lung cancer cases are carcinomas or malignant cancer that stems from epithelial cells. Lung carcinoma exist in two types, which are categorized by the size and appearance of malignant cells.
1. Non-small cell lung carcinoma which is once again divided into squamous lung carcinoma, large cell lung carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.
2. Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) or oat cell carcinoma that consists of anaplastic small cells, and is divided into limited stage and extensive stage disease.
Causes
The main cause for lung cancer is cigarette smoking. However even inhaling of secondhand smoke can lead to lung cancer. Other causes are exposure to occupational chemicals, asbestos and radon, and heredity.
Symptoms
The main symptom of lung cancer are cough, difficulty in swallowing and shortness of breath. In some cases, there may also be emission of blood or bloody mucus while coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, deep breathing or swelling in neck or face. Other symptoms of lung cancer are loss of weight and appetite, recurring respiratory infections, wheezing and difficulty swallowing.
Treatment
Through a positron emission tornography, it is determined if the cancer is localized, and can be treated with surgery. Surgery may be removal of part of a lobe, one lobe, two lobes or the whole lung.
Chemotherapy involves using medicine to kill cancer cells, and is best for treating small cell lung cancer and for controlling the growth and spread of lung cancer.
Radiation therapy is used for treating both non-small cell and small cell lung cancer, for treating patients who don’t want surgery, or in cases where cancer has spread to surrounding organs. While radiation generally shrinks cancer, with chemotherapy, chances of survival from lung cancer is improved.
Latest development
A team of researchers from Stanford and John Hopkins universities have recently investigated the chances of not only shrinking existing cancer tumors, but in stopping the tumor from coming back. Their study shows that the regrowth of SCLC cells can be blocked by a drug that targets growth signals and controls organ development and repair.
With this discovery, they hope to find new SCLC treatment options, increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reduce the chance of a cancer relapse.
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