Cancer Information

Archive for the ‘Causes of Lung Cancer’ Category

WHAT IS IT?

The lungs are a pair of organs that give oxygen to the body and expel carbon dioxide, a waste product produced by the body’s cells. The bronchi, meanwhile, are tubes through which inspired air reaches from the mouth to the lungs are divided into other smaller and smaller tubes, called bronchioles, to form the alveoli, which is where exchange occurs of venous blood gases.

Lung cancer is caused by overgrowth of malignant cells in this organ, and if not diagnosed early can move to other organs of the body. Read the rest of this entry »

Doctors can not always explain why one person develops lung cancer and others do not. However, studies have found the following risk factors for lung cancer:

Cigarettes

In most people, lung cancer is associated with risk factors for cigarettes. The incidence of lung cancer is closely related to smoking, with about 90% of lung cancers arising as a result of taking snuff. The more you smoke, the more likely you are to get lung cancer.

Passive smokers are at risk of lung cancer. Research has shown that passive smokers who live with smokers have a 24% increase in the risk of developing lung cancer compared with someone not living with a smoker.

Radon gas

The second most important risk factor for lung cancer is exposure to radon gas. Radon is a radioactive gas that you can not see, smell or taste. It forms in soil and rocks. People who work in mines may be exposed to radon. Radon damages lung cells and those exposed to radon are at increased risk of lung cancer. Radon causes lung cancer is even greater for smokers.

Asbestos fibers

Asbestos fibers are silicate fibers that can persist throughout life in lung tissue after exposure to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos, arsenic, chromium, nickel, soot, tar and other substances can cause lung cancer. People working in construction and chemical industries have a higher risk of lung cancer. The risk is higher for people with years of exposure. Read the rest of this entry »

It seems as lung cancer would be easy to catch and diagnose because its symptoms, but this is not always the case. Approximately 25% of people with any type of lung cancer has no symptoms and are unaware of their condition unless they are tested for anything else or until the cancer spreads. Then, cancer growth could be seen on radiographs, for example, and hopefully successful treatment could begin. The rest of the people who get lung cancer have some symptoms that should draw the attention of a physician immediately. Although lung cancer remains extremely difficult to treat and survival rates improve with early diagnosis.

The main symptoms of lung cancer include changes in existing cough, coughing up blood, a cough, or a chronic cough. Some people notice an increase in breathing difficulties, feel short of breath, wheezing or experience. Sometimes a hoarse voice, could be one of the symptoms of lung cancer if it occurs suddenly. Occasionally, people with lung cancer receiving continuous chest infections or recurrent pneumonia, because the lungs are damaged. If the cancer spreads to other body areas, there may be additional symptoms of lung cancer are not limited to the lungs. These may include pain, especially if lung cancer spreads to the bones. Alternatively, the lung cancer in the brain can cause changes in vision, or act as stroke damage and build muscle weakness on one side of the body.

From time to time if the metastatic lung cancer occurs in the brain also can create seizures. On the other hand, the cancer can spread to other parts of the body and many of the bodies may have no symptoms at all. There are a plethora of symptoms of lung cancer, but there are certainly a population that is most at risk for this cancer, including smokers and even former smokers Read the rest of this entry »

This cancer is one that takes more lives annually and affects people 40 and older. Since 85% of those who suffer are smokers, snuff is the major risk factor for developing it. Only one of every eight people who suffer are not smokers.

There are also other substances such as asbestos, uranium or radon is a colorless, odorless gas that builds up in homes and comes from the stoves, which are also risk factors for lung cancer.

Other risk factors include industrial pollution, smoke from factories or cars or hormonal factors of the person that make it more susceptible to developing it. A risk factor can also be the presence of scars in the lung, caused by surgery, bullets or knives.

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The snuff smoking is the main cause in 90% of cases of lung cancer in both men and women. Decades ago, this tumor was much less common in women and it was featured it was more likely that was not related to snuff. These differences are disappearing rapidly, reflecting the incorporation of women with smoking in the previous years.

Another part of this type of cancer is caused by inhaled substances and who are in the workplace, a phenomenon related to the 10% -15% of lung cancer in males and 5% in women. The most important of these substances are asbestos, such as those used in asbestos factories.

Lung cancer can also be caused by radiation received at the chest, such as treatment with radiation therapy used to treat breast cancer and lymphoma. The interval between radiation exposure and cancer onset is usually very long, around age 20. The greatest risk are people who tried for many years with old appliances, and smoked during the following years. The risk with modern radiotherapy equipment is very low.

Hereditary factors have little relation to lung cancer.