It is a type of cancer that develops in your lungs. The lungs are spongy organs in your body through which we exhale and inhale air.
Lungs are responsible for the intake of oxygen in our body to fulfill the requirements. After processing the oxygen, they exhale the carbon dioxide from our bodies. Lung cancer is the major cause of death around the world. Cancer begins to develop when the cells in your lungs get out of control. It is the most common cause of death in males because excessive smoking often leads you to the first stage of lung cancer. It is a fatal disease but can be controlled by taking precautionary measures.
Types of Lung Cancer
There are two major types of lung cancer called small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. They are different because of their cell size under the microscope.
Non-small cell Lung Cancer: It is the most common type of lung cancer. There is an 80 to 90 percent chance of developing this type of lung cancer. It usually develops in the outer part of the lungs and is easy to diagnose. It has further types which are given below:
- Adenocarcinomas: It is the most common type which has been seen in NSCLC. It comprises up to 45% to 55% of patients. It is mostly found in non-smokers’ lungs and it arises in the outer layer of the lungs.
- Squamous cell carcinomas: It is surprisingly most common than Adenocarcinomas. The percentage of this cancer is around 30% which is found in NSCLC. It is also known as epidermoid carcinomas. Squamous Cell cancer usually affects the chest in bronchi.
- Large cell carcinomas: It is also called undifferentiated carcinomas and it is the least common type of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
Small-cell Lung Cancer
It comprises about 15 to 20 percent of lung cancers and it is the most aggressive type of cancer. It grows rapidly in your lungs and compromises most of the parts. It is directly related to smoking so all smokers should quit smoking. The percentage of occurring this type in non-smokers is about 1%.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
Usually, this type of cancer doesn’t show any signs and symptoms at first. But after some time when it gets worst then signs and symptoms can be experienced. Some of the initial signs and symptoms are as below:
- Constant coughing that doesn’t go away easily.
- Blood in your cough.
- Difficulty in breathing.
- Constant pain in the chest.
- Breathy or strained voice.
- Weight loss without any reason.
- Constant lack of energy.
- Joints pain.
- Swelling of neck, face and chest.
- Appetite loss.
Sometimes lung cancer causes other symptoms often called paraneoplastic syndrome as given below:
- Vomiting, nausea, fluid retention, etc.
- High blood pressure and sugar.
- Lung cancer can cause severe back pain which cannot be eradicated easily.
Causes of Lung Cancer
There is no evidence is present which claims that a certain person can get lung cancer. Anyone can get cancer but smokers are top on the list. When someone starts smoking then it starts the damage to the lungs. Naturally, lungs can repair themselves from the damages but constant exposure to the smoke makes it difficult for the lungs to keep repairing.
Due to heavy smoking cells begin to behave abnormally that increasing the chance to get small-cell lung cancer. Radon[i] is a type of natural radioactive gas which is another main cause of lung cancer. A tiny amount of uranium is present in rocks and soils that are used in buildings that emit radon gas. If you are a smoker and you are exposed to radon then you will surely get lung cancer.
Exposure to certain substances like arsenic, beryllium, silica, nickel, asbestos, and cadmium can be a cause of lung cancer. Persons who are working in an industry related to these chemicals are at risk of developing lung cancer. There is research that suggests that if you have constant exposure to diesel fumes for many years then it can cause lung cancer.
Risk Factors of Lung Cancer
Smoking is the biggest factor in the development of lung cancer to date. If you smoke cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and other tobacco products then you are at risk of developing lung cancer.
An authentic study according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)[ii] suggests that a smoker is 20 to 30 times at the risk of getting lung cancer than a nonsmoker. If you are in exposure to second-hand smoke then the situation is pretty bad for you. Every year about 7000 to 7500 people die because of lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.
If you have a family history of developing lung cancer then there is a chance that you will be affected by lung cancer in the future.
Complications
Lung cancer can cause you certain complications that are given below:
- You will feel shortness of breath because cancer blocks the major airways in the lungs. A fluid accumulated around your lungs can cause you shortness of breath.
- It can complicate your cough and you will be ended up coughing up blood.
- Constant pain in the whole body due to lung cancer can be observed.
Prevention
Although there is no way that you can prevent lung cancer but applying certain things can lower the risk of having lung cancer. These are given below:
- Quit smoking immediately and if you have never smoked then don’t try at all. You should be aware of that much fatal smoking is. You should to other people about the risks of smoking.
- If you are a smoker then you should stop immediately because of you quit smoking your lungs began to heal themselves. You should talk to the experts that how you can quit smoking forever. You can even use nicotine patches to avoid smoking.
- Stay away from secondhand smoke. If you are living or working with someone who smokes then stay away from them.
- You should test your home for the presence of radon gas.
[i] https://www.epa.gov/radiation/what-radon-gas-it-dangerous
[ii] https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/basic_info/risk_factors.htm