Lung Cancer Information
Asbestos Related Lung Cancer
For most of the last century, asbestos was known as the miracle mineral. It was used extensively in building for insulation, and woven into nearly every type of item that could be manufactured. As early as 1897, there were reports that asbestos could cause serious lung damage in those that were exposed to it, but those reports were either intentionally suppressed or ignored. By 1931, though, the British government had started to take action to address the concerns about lung cancer in those who worked with asbestos. By the early 1970s, the United States government had followed suit and begun to formulate safety rules for handling asbestos. By that time, it was about fifty years too late for thousands upon thousands who had been exposed to asbestos in the workplace, the home and the environment.
Cancer Overview
Cancer is a word that brings fear to the heart of all who hear it, especially when mentioned by a doctor in relation to recent tests. So what is cancer? What causes it? Why is it so dangerous to our health?
Diagnostic Tests for Lung Cancer Part II
X-rays, CAT scans and even PET scans can only indicate that there are conditions suspicious of a cancer diagnosis. In order to definitely diagnose lung cancer, a pathologist must confirm the diagnosis by examining a tissue sample and finding cancerous cells in it. The simplest and least expensive tissue test is a sputum analysis (sputum cytography). Unfortunately, it's not the most reliable of tests, and can give both false positive and false negative results. There are a number of other tests that a pathologist can do to confirm or discard a diagnosis of lung cancer.
Eat Your Cabbage?
Can eating your broccoli and cabbage help protect you against lung cancer? According to a study published in the October 29, 2005 issue of the British medical journal, Lancet, the answer is yes.
This isn't the first time that its been suggested that cruciferous vegetables may have a preventive effect against lung cancer, but it is the largest scale study to date. There have been a number of smaller observational studies that reported a possible link between the vegetables and lung cancer prevention, but they were considered to be too small to be definitive. This study, conducted by a group of researchers at the Genetic Epidemiology Group at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, compared 2,141 people diagnosed with lung cancer with a group of healthy people in the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. They chose countries where the consumption of vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts has been traditionally high.
Experimental Treatments for Lung Cancer
Because there is no standard treatment for lung cancer that is 100% effective, patients diagnosed with lung cancer may be offered the option of taking part in experimental trials of new treatments. There are several new therapies that are being seriously explored with medical trials in various studies, and the list of those therapies is a fluid one. The American Cancer Society official web site (www.cancer.org) has a tool to help you find experimental trials in which you may be able to participate, and the National Cancer Institute also maintains a listing of open and beginning clinical trials on their web site at www.cancer.gov.
Lung Cancer - Overview
Lung Cancer is a type of cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. Many lung cancers begin in the bronchi though others can start in other parts of the lungs. Lung cancer also has a tendency to form in the glands below the bronchi.
Lung Cancer - Probabilities
Lung cancer causes up to 30% of all cancer related deaths, and it is the 2nd leading cause of death among both men and women in western society. 85% of all lung cancers are caused by a person's smoking habit or just by breathing in the second-hand smoke of others.
Lung Cancer - Screening
At this moment in time, there is no particularly useful single test that can be considered 100% reliable for the early detection of lung cancer. Unfortunately unless someone is undergoing a health screen for something completely unrelated, lung cancer is very often only discovered in the later stages of the disease when it is often too late to do anything but offer palliative treatment.
Lung Cancer - Symptoms
The most common indicators and symptoms of lung cancer include the following: Fatigue Shortness of breath and wheezing (dyspnoea) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis Constant chest pain Coughing up blood (bloody sputum) (haemoptysis) Swelling of the neck and face Fever Loss of appetite and Weight loss (anorexia) Hoarse voice
Lung Cancer Treatment Options - Radiation
In many cases of lung cancer, surgery is not an option. This may be because of the advanced stage of the cancer, the location of the tumor or tumors, or because of the overall general health of the patient. In those cases, the oncologist may suggest radiation therapy to treat lung cancer. Even if surgery is an option, the doctor may suggest irradiation either before therapy to shrink the tumor or after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells.
Lung Cancer - Trends by Ethnicity, Sex and Race
In the USA and many other western countries, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Lung cancer has been found to be the leading cancer killer among Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians and Hispanic males.