Lungs - Overview
Your lungs are vital sponge-like organs which make up a large portion of your Respiratory System. Healthy, normal people have 2 lungs - one on the left and one on the right side in the chest. Each lung consists of multiple sections, called lobes. Your right lung is slightly larger than the left lung and has 3 lobes, while your left lung has only 2 lobes.
The main functions of the lungs are to deliver oxygen (O2) to the blood and remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the blood. Therefore the lungs are involved in a very complicated type of gaseous exchange system.
When you breathe in, that is inhale; air enters the trachea which is more commonly called the wind pipe, via your nose or mouth. The trachea divides into two tubes, called the bronchi, which deliver air to each lung.
Each bronchi further divides into small tubes called bronchioles, which deliver air to spongy air sacks in your lungs called alveoli. These alveoli are laden with blood vessels, and allow the absorption of oxygen (O2) by the red blood cells in your blood, and also allow the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) from your blood, which is removed from your body when you breathe out, or exhale. A slippery lining, called the pleura, protects the lungs as they expand and contract during breathing. If the pleura become damaged or diseased, it can be very painful.
When our lungs are not able to operate effectively, for example, when they are affected by disease, then we can experience shortness of breath. If the lungs are seriously compromised by disease or damaged in any other way, then the lack of oxygen in the blood can cause brain damage, damage to other body organs, and even death. Our lungs are vitally important for us to live a normal, healthy, active life, and it is imperative they function at their maximum efficiency.
If the lungs are afflicted with lung cancer then this can be dangerous for a variety of reasons. For a start, the lungs will operate less efficiently, and this will cause shortness of breath, fatigue, and similar symptoms. In more extreme cases, if enough of the lung tissue is damaged by the cancer, then more severe symptoms, or even death, may result.
However, this is only part of the equation. Lung cancer is also dangerous, as is cancer in any other part of the body, because the cancer can spread to other organs and tissues in the body, causing them to operate less effectively. When this happens, a range of serious symptoms can appear, as well as the possible death of the person who is afflicted by the cancer.
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.