What You Need To Know About Lung Cancer
Article by Steff X
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in America, taking more lives each year than breast,prostate and colorectal cancers combined. Lung cancer is theleading cause of cancer death among women in the United States,surpassing the dreaded breast cancer.
The most common cause of lung cancer is long term exposure to tobaccosmoke. Three to five years after quitting, the risk of gettinglung cancer is reduced by half. For smokers the risk of lungcancer is significant due to the synergistic effects of radon andsmoking as well as asbestos exposure.
As dirt and smoke chemicals build up in your lungs, you have a higherchange of getting lung cancer. Even non-smokers are not spared. Peoplewho constantly inhale secondhand smoke will also be likely to developelung cancer.
Overall, lung cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat andit is no wonder that lung cancer is the major cause of cancer death inthe world. Lung cancer can generally be categorised as small celllung cancer and non-small lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer ismore common while small cell lung cancer is harder to treat because itgenerally spreads faster.
Lung cancer is very difficult to detect at an early stage, somesymptoms may include a new or changing cough, along with hoarseness orshortness of breath or increased shortness of breath during exertion.Sadly, lung cancer are usually detected only at late stage, and thisgreatly limit the treatments that is applicable to treat it.
Once lung cancer is detected, a treatment plan is developed based onthe patient’s physical health, whether the lung cancer is small cell or non-small cell and how extensively the cancer has spread.
Treatments usually involve surgery to remove the cancer cells andsurrounding affected cells depends on how far the cancer has metasized.
In chemotherapy, drugs are given orally or through the vein to combatcancer cells. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because thedrug enters the blood stream, travels through the body, and can killcancer cells outside the lungs.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells andshrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body(external radiation therapy) or from putting colloidal materials thatemit radiation (radioisotopes) through thin plastic tubes in the areawhere the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are used to treatnon-small cell lung cancer. These are mainstream treatments used bymany doctors in medical institution. However, patients that haveexhausted these treatments often look for other options in alternativetreatments, and often with encouraging results.
Increasingly, more and more people turn to alternative treatment thatreverse cancer through diet and lifestyle change. These treatments areusually inexpensive and aimed at repairing cancer cells instead ofkilling them.
About the Author
Lung cancer is the #1 killer of men and women in the United States.Visit http://www.AsbestosLungCancerTreatment.com for the latest information on lung cancer and how to reverse lung cancer using gentle, alternative methods.