One particular type of cancer that starts in the lungs is
lung cancer. Your lungs are two pliable organs in your chest that allow you to
breathe in oxygen and exhaust carbon dioxide.
The most common type of cancer that leads to death is lung
cancer.
Lung cancer can strike anyone, although smokers are at a
higher risk than nonsmokers. With time and cigarette consumption, the risk of
lung cancer rises. Even after many years of smoking, you can greatly lower your
risk of developing lung cancer by quitting.
Symptoms
In its initial stages, lung cancer often exhibits no signs
or symptoms. Lung cancer symptoms and signs often appear when the condition is
advanced.
Lung cancer symptoms and signs can include:
- Cough that persists
- Coughing up blood, even a little bit of it
- Breathing difficulties
- Pain in the chest
- Hoarseness
- Loose pounds without exerting any effort
- Bone discomfort
- Headache
When to consult a doctor
If you experience any recurring signs or symptoms that alarm
you, schedule a visit with your physician.
Schedule a visit with your doctor if you have tried to stop
smoking but have been unsuccessful. The use of counseling, drugs, and nicotine
replacement products are just a few of the quit-smoking aids your doctor may
suggest.
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Causes
The overwhelming majority of lung cancers are brought on by
smoking, in both smokers and non-smokers. However, lung cancer can also develop
in those who have never smoked or been exposed to secondhand smoke for an extended period. Lung cancer in certain situations might not
have an obvious etiology.
How
smoking causes cancer of the lungs
According to medical professionals, smoking harms the cells
that line the lungs, which in turn leads to lung cancer. Changes in the lung
tissue start happening practically immediately after inhaling cigarette smoke,
which is full of cancer-causing agents (carcinogens).
Your body might initially be able to repair this harm.
However, the healthy cells that line your lungs get more and more destroyed
with each subsequent exposure. Damage over time causes cells to behave
abnormally, and cancer may eventually manifest.
Types
of cancer of the lungs
Based on how lung cancer cells appear when examined under a
microscope, doctors categorize the disease into two main categories. Based on
the primary lung cancer kind you have, your doctor will decide how to treat
you.
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The following are the two primary types of lung cancer:
- Small
cell lung cancer: Compared to non-small cell lung cancer, small
cell lung cancer nearly exclusively affects heavy smokers.
- Non-small
cell lung cancer: Several different kinds of lung cancer fall
under the general category of non-small cell lung cancer. Adenocarcinoma, big
cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma are non-small cell lung
malignancies.
Risk
factors
Your risk of developing lung cancer could be affected by a
variety of variables. For instance, quitting smoking is one way to reduce some
risk factors. Other elements, like your family history, are uncontrollable.
The risk factors for lung cancer are as follows:
- Smoking: As you smoke more cigarettes per day and for longer periods of time, your risk of developing lung cancer rises. Smoking cessation can greatly reduce your risk of lung cancer at any age.
- Secondhand
smoke exposure: If you are exposed to secondhand smoke, your
risk of developing lung cancer rises even if you don't smoke.
- Earlier
radiation therapy: You may be more likely to get lung cancer if
you've had radiation therapy to the chest for another type of cancer.
- Radon gas exposure: The uranium in soil, rocks, and water naturally breaks down to form radon, which eventually finds its way into the air you breathe. Any structure, including residences, can build up dangerous levels of radon.
- Exposure
to toxins like asbestos: Your risk of acquiring lung cancer can
increase if you are exposed to asbestos at work as well as other carcinogens
including arsenic, chromium, and nickel. This risk is especially high if you
smoke.
- Lung
cancer in the family history: A person's risk of developing
lung cancer is higher if they have a parent, sibling, or kid who has the
condition.
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Complications
Lung cancer consequences may include:
- Respiratory
difficulty: If lung cancer spreads to the main airways, the patient
may develop breathing difficulties. Additionally, fluid can build up around the
lungs as a result of lung cancer, making it more difficult for the affected lung
to fully inflate during inhalation.
- Gushing
blood: Hemoptysis, a condition when you cough up blood (bleeding
in the airway), can be brought on by lung cancer. In some cases, bleeding might
get really bad. Bleeding can be controlled using some medications.
- Pain: Pain
can result from advanced lung cancer that has spread to the lung's lining or to
another part of the body, including the bone. If you have pain, let your doctor
know because there are various therapies available to reduce it.
- Chest
fluid (pleural effusion): The pleural space, which surrounds the
diseased lung in the chest cavity, may become clogged with fluid as a result of
lung cancer.
- Breathlessness may result from fluid building up in the chest. There are methods to drain the fluid from your chest and lower the possibility of recurrent pleural effusion.
- Metastasis,
the spread of cancer to various organ systems: There is a high
likelihood that lung cancer will spread (metastasize) to the bones and brain.
Depending on which organ is damaged and the stage
of cancer, pain, nausea, headaches, and other signs and symptoms may be
experienced. Generally speaking, lung cancer cannot be cured once it has spread
outside the lungs. There are treatments that can help you live longer while
reducing indications and symptoms.
Prevention
Although there is no guaranteed strategy to avoid lung cancer,
you can lower your risk by:
- Avoid
smoking: Never start smoking if you haven't already. Talk to your
kids about quitting so they can learn how to avoid this significant lung cancer
risk factor. Talk to your kids about the risks of smoking when they are young
so they will be prepared to handle peer pressure.
- Give up
smoking: Quit smoking right away. Even if you've been a smoker for
a long time, quitting lowers your chance of lung cancer. Consult your doctor
for advice on effective methods and cessation assistance. Options include
drugs, support groups, and nicotine replacement therapies.
- Refrain
from consuming tobacco: Insist that the smoker you live or work
with gives up smoking. Request that they smoke outside, at the very least. Avoid
places where people smoke, such as pubs and restaurants, and opt for smoke-free
establishments instead.
- Take a
radon test at home: Check your home's radon levels, particularly
if you reside in a region where radon is known to be an issue. To make your
house safer, high radon levels can be reduced. Get in touch with your
neighborhood's public health office or an American Lung Association branch for
further information about radon testing.
- Stay
away from carcinogens at work: Take care to shield yourself
from workplace exposure to hazardous chemicals. Observe the safety
recommendations of your workplace. Wear a face mask that has been provided to
you as protection, for instance, at all times. What else can you do to
safeguard yourself at work? Ask your doctor. If you smoke, you run a higher
chance of developing lung cancer from your job's toxins.
- Eat a
diet rich in fruits and vegetables: Pick a nutritious diet rich
in various fruits and vegetables. Vitamins and other nutrients are best
found in food sources. Large vitamin dosages may be dangerous; therefore, avoid
taking them. For instance, scientists supplemented heavy smokers with beta
carotene in an effort to lower their risk of lung cancer. As a result, smokers'
risk of developing cancer increased, according to the findings.
- Exercise
on most of your days of the week: Start out cautiously if you
don't typically exercise. The majority of the week tries to exercise.
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Keep up
with your healthy lifestyle as much as you can.
Remember that following our advice will help you become the
healthiest and fittest version of yourself. Our assessments of your overall
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