an introduction :

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women and men.

 

Lung cancer accounts for far more victims per year than colon cancer, prostate cancer, lymph node cancer and breast cancer.

 

However, most deaths from lung cancer can be prevented, because smoking is responsible for nearly 90 per cent of all cases of lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer increases steadily depending on the years and the number of cigarettes smoked.

Quitting smoking, even after many years of smoking, can significantly reduce the risk of lung cancer.

 

The risk of lung cancer can also be reduced by avoiding exposure to other factors that cause lung cancer, such as exposure to asbestos, radon and secondhand smoke.

 

Types of lung cancer:

Doctors tend to divide lung cancer into two main types, depending on the shape of the cancer cells, as they look under the microscope. On the basis of this division, doctors make decisions about the appropriate treatment in each eye condition.

The two are as follows:

 

1 - Small cell lung cancer (Small cell lung cancer): Also called, malignant tumor (carcinoma - Carcinoma) in the form of an oatmeal. In most cases, it occurs only in heavily smokers, and is less common than type II, called non-small cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer is a generic name for many types of lung cancer that behave symmetrically. Non-small cell lung cancer includes squamos cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large-cell carcinoma.

 

Symptoms of lung cancer:

Symptoms of lung cancer do not appear in their initial stages in most cases.

 

Symptoms often appear when the disease has already reached an advanced stage.

 

Symptoms of lung cancer include:

 

1. A new cough that appears and does not disappear

2. Changes in existing chronic cough or cough of smokers

3. Cough accompanied by bloody sputum, even if very little is called hemoptysis

4 - shortness of breath

5- Chest aches

6 - hoarseness in the voice

7 - Pancoast Syndrome syndrome, which is a pain in the area of ​​the shoulder and around the result of pressure tumor on the nerves

8 - superior vena cava Syndrome syndrome, a state of fullness in the head and shortness of breath, protrusion in the veins in the chest, edema (edema) in the face.

 

Causes and risk factors for lung cancer:

The formation and development of lung cancer usually begins in the cells that form the inner lining of the lungs (pleura).

 

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer in people who smoke, as well as in people exposed to secondhand smoke.

 

But lung cancer can affect people who have never been exposed to cigarette smoke. In these cases, there is sometimes no clear cause for lung cancer.

 

In contrast, doctors have succeeded in making a list of factors that increase the risk of lung cancer:

 

Radiantion Therapy

Pulmonary Fibrosis

3 - pulmonary diseases and simple infections may increase the risk of infection slightly, according to research

Enviromental Toxins, such as exposure to asbestos, radon and other minerals

5. HIV infection

Genetic factors - People whose parents, siblings, sisters or anyone close to the first degree have lung cancer are more likely to develop lung cancer.

Passive smoking

8 - inhalation smoke from the fire from cooking ovens and heating, especially from the ignition of wood and coal

 

How does smoking cause lung cancer?

Doctors believe that smoking causes lung cancer by infecting the cells that form the inner lining of the lungs.

 

When a person inhales cigarette smoke, which contains many substances known to be carcinogens (carcinogen), changes in lung tissue occur almost immediately. The body may still be able to remedy and repair these damages, initially.

 

But after repeated exposure to these substances, healthy cells that form the lining of the lungs are constantly and increasingly damaged.

 

Over time, these damage cause these cells to behave abnormally until eventually a cancerous tumor develops.

 

The lungs contain many blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, which allow cancer cells to pass through and then easily reach other organs in the body. Therefore, lung cancer may spread and spread to other organs in the body before lung cancer symptoms appear.

 

In most cases, lung cancer can spread even before it is found in the lungs themselves.

 

Risk factors:

There are many risk factors that increase your risk of lung cancer.

 

Some of these risk factors are under human control and can be controlled by, for example, smoking cessation.

 

In contrast, there are several other uncontrollable factors, such as sexual affiliation.

Treatment of lung cancer

Oncologist, in consultation with the patient, determines the method and system of lung cancer treatment based on several factors, such as the patient's overall health status, type and degree of cancer, taking into account the patient's personal options.

 

Treatment options generally include one or more of the following: surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or intensive drug therapy.

 

Surgery:

In surgery, the surgeon removes the tissue area where the tumor is present, as well as margins from the surrounding healthy tissue.

 

This type of treatment may only be suitable for people with non-small-scale I or II lung cancer.

 

Surgeries to remove lung cancer include:

 

Wedge-shaped amputation to remove the part containing cancerous tissue (Limited Sublobar Resection), together with margins of surrounding healthy tissue

Lobectomy to remove an entire lobe of the lung

Pneumonectomy for complete lung removal

Thoracoscopic video endoscopy (VATS): It is a simple invasive process used in patients with non small cell at very early stages.

If such an operation is performed, the surgeon may also remove the lymph nodes in the chest area, to check whether they also carry tissue containing cancer cells. If cancerous tissue is already found, it is usually a sign that the cancer has spread and spread, even if no signs have been seen outside the chest.

 

Prevention of lung cancer:

There is no guaranteed and proven way to prevent lung cancer, but the risk of lung cancer can be reduced if the following measures are taken:

 

Avoid smoking

2 - Quit smoking

Avoid secondhand smoke

4 - Conducting tests to detect the presence of radon gas in the vicinity of the house

Avoid exposure to carcinogens at work

6 - Maintain a diet rich in vegetables and fruits

7. Keep drinking alcohol in moderation or avoid it altogether.

 

Alternative treatments:

The patient may resort to lung cancer, or may try to go to alternative medicine or complementary medicine, in search of a cure to cure lung cancer.

 

There are many eye-catching Web sites claiming that "the drug has been found in clinics located in distant countries", and the types of secret prescriptions give hope when the patient feels that the number of options available, or offered, for treatment is limited and limited.

 

However, one must note that alternative lung cancer treatments are not supported by medical studies, and there is no evidence that these treatments are effective. Moreover, in most cases, the side effects of these treatments are not known, at all.

 

Alternative treatment for lung cancer can be costly and requires traveling far away. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully consider and consider the treatment options before adopting them.

 

Rather than completely abandoning accepted conventional treatments, the logical possibility is to combine alternative and complementary therapies with the conservative traditional treatment recommended by the doctor.

 

Research with your physician should be in any alternative and complementary therapies that can help alleviate the symptoms experienced by the patient. The attending physician may examine the benefits and risks of complementary or alternative medicine.

 

The American College of Chest Physicians has studied alternative treatment options and a variety of complementary therapies suggested and found that there are a number of treatments that can be useful for lung cancer patients.

 

Among these treatments:

 

1. Acupuncture

2. Hypnosis

3. Massage

4. Meditation

5. Yoga