The Leading Causes Of Lung Cancer

By Author: Rob Thomas
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Cancer of the lungs produces irregularities to the tissue of the lung organ. When there is a irregularity in the body's internal system, the cancer causes an uncontrolled growth in the tissues that eventually forms a mass of tissue called a tumor. The lung's main function is to take in the air we inhale and transport it to other parts of the body.

During this process, the lungs helps to remove carbon dioxide from the blood stream and promotes fresh air to circulate throughout the body. There are two types of tumors; malignant and benign, Malignant tumors develop more rapidly, while benign tumors usually take a longer time to developed and can be removed without it expanding to other parts of the body.

Lung cancer is classified as a malignant tumor due to the fact that it starts to grow outward very early on in its development. When cancer growth continues to a certain degree then it becomes capable of spreading to other organs to cause further damage. The sites which are more likely to be infected by a lung cancer are the liver, adrenal glands, brain and bone.

The lung is also easily infected by other types ...
... of cancers that develop in other parts of the body. Lung cancer is considered as the most frequent cause of death throughout the globe due to cancer for both sexes. It is more widespread in older persons, the majority of the persons diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 years of age and older, about 3% of lung cancers take place in individuals under the age of 45.

The most popular cause of cancer is cigarettes or tobacco smoking whether first or second hand. Second hand smokers are persons who breathe in smoke blown out from other persons who smoke in their surrounding. Smoking is estimated to be linked to approximately 90% of all lung cancer incidents. Over time continued smoking leads to a heightened possibility of getting lung cancer and even other cancer diseases.

Persons who experience second hand smoking or what is called passive smoking suffer from a 24% increase in developing lung cancer when compared to a person who is not in an environment filled with smokers. There are reportedly about 3,000 lung cancer casualties that occur each year in America.Tobacco smoke has over 4,000 chemical compounds that are cancerous, the main carcinogen in tobacco are nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Exposure to a chemical known as asbestos is also a leading cause of lung cancer. Asbestos fibers are silicate fibers which when exposed to can follow persons for a lifetime in the lung tissue. Asbestos is either discontinued or scarcely used in a many countries. Exposure to asbestos paired with smoking also increases the risk of developing an asbestos-related lung cancer over 50 - 90 folds versus a non-smoker.

Other causes of lung cancer are related to exposure to environmental factors like air pollution caused from vehicle exhaust, power plants, and extracts of chemicals like radon gas which is a emitted from uranium. Persons with a hereditary record of lung cancer cases are also more proned to develop the disease. Patients who have previously been cured of lung cancer maintain an additive risk of 1 - 2% per year for developing a second lung cancer.

Lung cancer is normally diagnosed by performing a chest radiograph, a bronchoscopy and/ or a Computed tomography. If abnormal patterns are identified then doctors may continue with screening exams and then determine what course of action should be taken next. Lung Cancer is one of the more difficult cancers to treat. Treatment may decided on based on how much the disease has developed up to the time of detection. At earlier stages doctors will more likely employ chemotherapy or radiation therapy, in other cases infected persons may have to undergo surgery.
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Please visit this link for more information on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and this link for information on What Causes Lung Cancer.