The Causes of Lung Cancer
Article by Jennifer Stone
Cancer is one of the dangerous diseases on the rise in the whole of the world. And many are not aware that any part of the body can have cancer. We hear about many cases having breast, cervical, ovarian, colon, lung and prostate cancer etc. and even the top medical news consists of finding new cures for cancer.
Lung cancer is the cancer that starts in lungs, which are located in the chest and helps the person to breathe. When the air is inhaled, the air goes through windpipe (trachea) into the lungs and spreads through the tubes called bronchi. Generally, it begins in the cells on the lining of the bronchi tubes.
The cancer of lung can be categorized in two types: the common type of it known as NSCLC – non small cell and small cell which makes about 20% of mostly all it cases. If there is a combination of both these types of lung cancer, it is known as mixed small cell/large cell cancer. When the cancer has not originated in the lungs but spreads from the other body parts to the lungs, it is known as metastatic cancer to the lung.
Lung cancer is said to be the deadliest type of cancer for both men and women. Lung cancer kills more people than many of the cancers combined together. It is common in elder people mostly above the age of 45. Although cigarette smoking is the lead cause of cancer, it also occurs in people who have never smoked.
The risk of cancer is greater when more cigarettes are smoked per day and if it is started at an earlier age. And it may be a myth that smoking low-tar cigarettes lowers the risk. One should also be aware that passive smoking i.e. inhaling the smoke of others increases the risk of this. It is estimated by American Cancer Society that 3000 non-smoking adults die each year of lung cancer due to passive smoking.
The other causes for the risk of the cancer of lungs may be asbestos, family history, high level of arsenic in drinking water or air-pollution, radiation therapy to lungs, radon gas, or exposure to chemicals causing cancer like mustard gas, uranium, nickel chromates, gasoline, diesel exhaust, beryllium, chloromethyl ethers and vinyl chloridecoal products.One should quit smoking as it is never too late and dramatically reduces the risk of lung cancer. One should avoid inhaling the smoke from other’s pipes, cigars and cigarettes.
About the Author
Lung cancer is a disease that consists of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs. Find out more about lung cancer and top medical news visit our website.