Lung Cancer: The Bad and the Worse

Lung Cancer: The Bad and the Worse
by Douglas Hanna

In terms of deaths caused by various forms of cancer, lung cancer ranks second only to breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute recently reported that an estimated 172,570 new cases of lung cancer will be reported this year and that 163,510 American will die from this disease.

Lung cancer is caused predominantly by smoking. One expert says that in the case of Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (cancer), it is almost always caused by smoking.

Lung cancer is called lung cancer because it begins in the lungs. The right lung has three sections, the left lung has two. Each section is called a lobe. Sometimes the term "bronchogenic cancer" is used to refer to lung cancer as most lung cancers begin in one of the two breathing tubes, the bronchi, in the lungs.

There are two major types of lung cancer. One is the Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) mentioned in the previous paragraph. The other is Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer has three subtypes: Adenocarcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Large Cell Undifferentiated Carcinoma. NSCLC is the least "serious" of the two types. In fact, if it is detected early, it is possible that it can be cured with surgery.

Andenocarcinoma accounts for about 40 percent of lung cancer cases in the U.S. It is the most common cancer among women and can be seen in non-smokers. Squamous Cell Carcinoma represents about 30 to 35 percent of lung cancers and tends to stay localized in the chest longer than other types of lung cancer. Large Cell Undifferentiated Carcinoma represents only about five to 15 percent of lung cancers in the U.S. The incidence of this type of cancer seems to be decreasing.

The worst and most aggressive form of lung cancer is Small Cell Lung Cancer. It represents only about 15 to 20 percent of all lung cancers. It spreads to the lymph nodes and other organs more quickly than NSCLC, but seems more responsive to chemotherapy drugs.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer is described in stages - Stage I through IV. WebMD recently reports survival rates of NSCLC as:

· Stage 1A or 1B with no lymph node involvement has a five-year survival rate of 43 to 64 percent when treated with surgery.

· Stage IIA or IIB with a single lymph node involvement, when treated with surgery, has a five-year survival rate of 20 to 40 percent.

· Stage IIIA with a single lymph node involvement in the center of the chest, when treated with surgery has a five-year survival rate of 15 to 25 percent.

· Stage IIIB with lymph node involvement in the chest and neck, when treated with radiation without other treatment, has a five-year survival rate of five to seven percent.

· Stage IIIB with lymph node involvement in the chest and neck, when treated with radiation and chemotherapy, has a five-year survival rate between seven and 17 percent.

· Stage IV with extensive lymph node involvement or cancer that has spread to other organs, hen treated with chemotherapy and palliative care to reduce symptoms and increase comfort has a one-year survival rate.

The prognosis is much bleaker for patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer. This form of cancer is found in two stages: limited or extensive. The limited version is that which is found in only one lung and nearby lymph nodes. The extensive type has spread outside the lung to other parts of the chest or body (metastasized). Limited SCLC when treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy has an average survival time of 18 to 20 months. The extensive form of SCLC when treated with chemotherapy has a survival time of 10 to 12 months. Ttwo-year survival rate is one to three percent, and the five-year survival rate less than two percent.

The majority of people diagnosed with SCLC will die despite the best available treatment.

While surgery plays the most important part in the treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, chemotherapy is always the chosen treatment for Small Cell Lung Cancer. In the case of limited stage SCLC, radiation therapy may also be used as the cancer is still localized to the chest area where radiation can be focused.

Small Cell Cancer Cells are so small they cannot be seen on scans. Even in the case of limited stage SCLC, it is possible for some cells to break away from the primary cancer and migrate to anywhere in the body. For this reason, chemotherapy is the preferred treatment as it treats the whole body, unlike radiation therapy which must be focused on a selected area. In act, chemotherapy is the preferred treatment for both limited and extensive stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Article by Douglas Hanna. Douglas is a retired advertising and marketing executive and long-time Denver resident. He is the author of numerous articles on family finances, Colorado vacations, and marketing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Hanna

Lung Cancer: The Bad and the Worse There are two major types of lung cancer. One is the Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) mentioned in the previous paragraph. The other is Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer has three subtypes: Adenocarcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Large Cell Undifferentiated Carcinoma. NSCLC is the least "serious" of the two types. In fact, if it is detected early, it is possible that it can be cured with surgery.

Save Yourself From Lung Cancer Three common types of non-small cell lung cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common non-small cell lung cancer. Adenocarcinoma, the primary cause of this non-small cell lung cancer is still a challenge to medical experts. Thus, experts continue to study the major cause of this cancer.

Common Causes of Lung Cancer There are a various risk factors that are linked to lung cancer. The most common known causes are as follows: Cigarette Smoking, Secondhand Smoke, Asbestos Exposure, Radon Gas and Air Pollution

What Are The Stages Of Lung Cancer? Once a diagnosis of lung cancer has been made, the doctor will attempt to determine the stage the lung cancer is at. The staging system is somewhat like a measurement system, with the numbers indicating: whether the cancerous tumors are localized or whether the tumors have spread to other parts of the body; the tumor's size; and whether or not the tumors have spread to the lymph nodes. There are four main stages of lung cancer (Stages 1 - 4) and identification of one of the stages is what helps doctors prescribe an appropriate treatment method.

Steps To Preventing Lung Cancer Did you realize that approximately 10% of lung cancer patients have never in their lives smoked cigarettes? When asked about lung cancer prevention, most people will tell you that the easiest way to prevent lung cancer is to never take up the dangerous habit of cigarette smoking. And while it's true that smoking often leads to lung cancer, the fact that 10% of lung cancer patients are not now nor have ever been smokers cannot be easily explained.

How Smoking Increases The Risk Of Lung Cancer With so many dangers associated with smoking, especially the correlation between smoking and the development of lung cancer, it is amazing to see how many people continue to voluntarily take part in this activity! Why is it that these mostly mature, reasonably intelligent men and women of every nationality allow such a small object to have so much control over their lives? You'd think it would be easy to just say "NO" to this tiny little death machine, but in reality it just isn't so.

Lung Cancer Symptoms, What You Need To Know. Because lung cancer symptoms do not manifest until it is already on its advanced stage, minor lung cancer symptoms are often ignored. This is because minor lung cancer symptom such as frequent coughing is often associated with itchiness in the throat. Smokers believe that this is an ordinary occurrence among smokers, thus they are not alarmed until they feel more severe lung cancer symptoms.