Lung cancer is a type of cancer that effects the lungs and is capable of rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, infecting the nearby and distant lymph nodes, as well as other organs. Lung cancer effects millions of people worldwide, and is still not fully understood by medical researchers and scientists. Due to the aggressive nature of lung cancer and the fact that it has a relatively low survival rate, much of the research that goes into lung cancer is usually focused on prevention. If a person is diagnosed with lung cancer, their survival chances are low because symptoms do not occur until the cancer is in a much later stage. Although the symptoms of lung cancer are quite apparent, it does not automatically mean that lung cancer is present within a person, as a doctor will usually make note of the lung cancer symptoms and perform further tests that tell him or her inconclusively that it is lung cancer causing those symptoms. Lung cancer is classified into two forms-- it can be a more severe type of cancer known as small cell lung cancer or non small cell lung cancer.
Lung Cancer Symptoms:
The symptoms of lung cancer are quite apparent, and usually do not show until in the advanced stages of development. In many cases a person may experience dyspnea, which is a condition that causes a shortness of breath, otherwise known as air hunger. It may also cause hemoptysis, where a person will begin to cough up blood frequently. Lung cancer symptoms also include wheezing, chest pain, fatigue, and clubbing of fingernails.
Lung Cancer Survival Rate:
Since lung cancer does not show noticeable symptoms until it has reached a later stage (usually stage III or stage IV) when lung cancer is not easily curable. Like other types of cancer, the survival rate of lung cancer is measured in five years, determining the chances of a patient surviving the cancer for those five years. In earlier stages of lung cancer, a person will have anywhere between a 49 percent to 31 percent survival rate, though if a person is discovered to have a stage IV lung cancer, the survival rate is only 1 to 2 percent.
Small Cell Lung Cancer:
Small cell lung cancer is a form of lung cancer that is characterized by its development of smaller cancer cells which are not as easily treatable as non small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer is primarily caused by smoking, in fact, small cell lung cancer does not occur in non-smokers unless in extremely rare circumstances. Small cell lung cancer is especially dangerous because of the ability for cancer cells to multiply rather quickly, forming large tumors within a patient’s chest.
Lung Cancer Pictures:
Most pictures of lung cancer show before and after comparison shots of a healthy set of lungs and a set of lungs that have been damaged by smoking and cancer. They are often meant to get people to quit smoking.
Lung Cancer Treatment:
Lung cancer is generally treated through several different means. This includes surgery, chemotherapy and surgery. Although not typically used as a primary treatment for lung cancer, surgery can be performed to alleviate symptoms or remove the cancer entirely.
Signs of Lung Cancer:
There is no easy way to detect lung cancer early in a person, though in later stages, lung cancer can cause chronic coughing, wheezing, infections, and feeling of weakness. Other signs of lung cancer can come from conditions caused by the cancer itself, as well as neurological problems.
Lung Cancer Prevention:
The best way to prevent lung cancer is to quit smoking altogether. The most common cause of lung cancer has been proven to be cigarette and cigar smoke, either directly or through secondhand smoke.