Lung Cancer - Go Ahead and Smoke!

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Lung Cancer - Go Ahead and Smoke!

Author: RichardHEalom Total views: 7 Word Count: 562

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lungs. It is one of the most common cancers in the United States, accounting for about 15 percent of all cases, or 170,000 new cases each year. It is also 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 US women 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 smoker stops smoking, the chance of lung cancer decreases steadily as damage to the lungs is repaired and contaminant particles are slowly removed.

RADON GAS: A colorless and odorless gas produced by the breakdown of radioactive radium, which is the decomposition product of 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 of lung cancer. The more cigarettes you smoke a day and the earlier you started, the greater your risk of developing lung cancer. High levels of pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may also increase your 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 is based on the cancer's specific cell type, how far it has spread, and the patient's performance status. Treatment also depends on the stage, or how advanced the cancer is.

Treatment choices should be discussed with Your Physician. It can include drugs, radiation and surgery. In the last few years, different molecular targeted therapies have been developed as treatments.

CONCLUSION: Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer in most western countries, and it leads the way in cancer-related cause of death. It is the most common cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, accounting for nearly a third of cancer deaths yearly in the US.

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

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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 learn more about Cancer please go to his website "Cancer Breakthrough USA!"

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