Sci 162 Week 5 Lung Cancer

Sci 162 Week 5 Lung Cancer

  • Submitted By: ksihnen1
  • Date Submitted: 02/09/2014 12:46 PM
  • Category: Science
  • Words: 434
  • Page: 2
  • Views: 41

Lung cancer is a disease in which uncontrolled cell growth occurs in the lung tissue. Untreated, it can spread throughout other areas of the body. Lung cancer in both men and women is the most common cause of death related to cancers and the second most commonly occurring form of cancer. The two main types of lung cancer are small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Small-cell lung carcinoma is less common than non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Some of the symptoms that may occur could be shortness of breath, coughing up blood, chronic coughing, wheezing, chest pain, weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, hoarse voice, and difficulty swallowing. Only about 10% of those diagnosed with lung cancer have no symptoms when diagnosed. To diagnose lung cancer a physician may perform a chest x-ray, bronchoscopy, or CT scan. Treatment options for this type of cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, maintenance therapy, adjuvant chemotherapy, interventional radiology, and palliative care. In all 14% of people diagnosed with lung cancer live five years after the diagnosis. Nonsmokers account for about 15% of lung cancer cases. Heredity only contributes less than 15% to the risk of cancer. Behavior contributes up to 60%. The rest comes from chemical exposures and air pollution. Some of the risk factors that cause lung cancer include smoking, radon gas, asbestos, viruses, and air pollution. Smoking accounts for 87% of lung cancer cases. A person’s diet can also affect the chances of cancer as well as excessive alcohol use, and a person’s heredity. Living in a city for 10 or more years can put a person at higher risk for lung cancer because of the pollutants in the air. To reduce modifiable risk factors for lung cancer people can make better lifestyle choices. Refraining from the use of tobacco products is one way to reduce cancer risks as well as avoiding secondhand smoke. Another way to reduce risks would be eating healthy with at...

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