Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. On the bright side, with widespread awareness of the risks of smoking, there is hope that these numbers will decrease.

While the majority (90%) of people who get lung cancer are or have been cigarette smokers, not all people who smoke get lung cancer and some people who have never smoked get the disease.

What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer is a disease characterised by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. It is rarely found in people younger than 45 years of age.

There are two major types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer, which has three subtypes, is the most common form. Small-cell lung cancer, sometimes called oat-cell cancer, is less common and tends to spread quickly to other body organs early in the disease.

Symptoms

Because the lungs are so large, cancer may grow undetected for many years. Some symptoms do not seem to be related to the lungs at all, as lung cancer may spread to other parts of the body.

Depending on which organs are affected, symptoms can include headaches, weakness, bone fractures, bleeding, blood clots, shortness of breath, fatigue, repeated pneumonia or bronchitis, coughing up blood, hoarseness, swelling of the neck and face, and chest, shoulder, or back pain (which feels like a constant ache that may or may not be related to coughing).

Adding to the confusion, the most common symptom of lung cancer, a persistent cough, can often be mistaken for a cold or bronchitis.

Treatment

If a doctor suspects lung cancer, he or she may order a chest X-ray, computer assisted tomography (CT) scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a first step in diagnosis. CT scans and MRIs can show the size, shape and location of a tumour and indicate if the tumour has spread from the lung to other parts of the body.

Each type of lung cancer is treated differently.

Prognosis

Prompt attention to symptoms, leading to early diagnosis and treatment, can result in a cure for some people. For others, prompt attention to symptoms can improve the likelihood that treatment can extend their lives and relieve many of their symptoms.

 

Sources

http://lungcancer.about.com
http://www.kerala.com
http://www.meds.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov