Introduction
Lung cancer is a deadly form tumor that advances in the chest cavity. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths among both men and women in the United States. Due to the severity of respiratory complications posed by this medical complication, early diagnosis and treatment is essential. The discussion below is aimed to create enlightenment on the development and treatment of cancer. It also focuses on the current researches about this complication and outlines some of the proposed treatment approaches. For a fact, early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer is essential since lack thereof results in death.
Symptoms
In its early stages of development, lung cancer does not have dominant signs and symptoms. However, they begin to show in the advanced stages of the disease development. According to the American Cancer Society (Cancer.org, 2016), patients experience a continuous form of cough that does not go away in spite of any intervention. The patients begin coughing blood as this symptom persists and constantly experience a shortness in breath. Due to the severity of the damage done on the lungs, they experience chest pains. In the advanced stages of the complications, a significant loss of weight occurs and the patients continually experience bone pains. It is worth mentioning that the manifestation of these symptoms is not similar to all patients as some signs may not be present in other patients.
Age onset
Lung cancer is mainly associated with life behaviors. Specifically, people who smoke a lot have a higher likelihood of experiencing this complication. However, it mainly occurs in older people. According to Cancer.org (2016), two out of three people diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States were 65 years and older. On the other hand, less than two percent of this population was below 45 years old. The threat distribution of suffering from this complication among men and women is very even. As such, one is justified to claim that the age onset of getting lung cancer is biased towards the elderly.
How many people are affected?
Owing to the fact that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the globe, it is worth appreciating the fact that it affects many individuals. In the first quarter of 2016, about 224,390 had been diagnosed with this medical complication. Of this population, 117,920 were men while the rest were women (Cancer.org, 2016). It is worth mentioning that smoking attributes to about 85 percent of this distribution and it is, therefore, the leading cause of lung cancer. The American Cancer Society estimated that there were about 158,080 cancer deaths in the United States as of 2016 since the commencement of the decade. As such, cancer affects a lot of people in the United States and the globe.
Main body
Current knowledge on the disease
Research aimed at minimizing the threats posed by lung cancer has revealed that tobacco smoking is the leading cause of this complication. Specifically, 90 percent of the cancer cases arise from tobacco smoking and the risk of contracting this complication is heightened as one increases the number of cigarettes consumed (Cancer.org, 2016). It has also been determined that cigar and pipe smoking pose a similar threat of lung cancer development although the threats are not as high as cigarette smoking. Tobacco smoke has been determined to have more than 4,000 chemical compounds that are cancer-causing (Cancer.org, 2016). Passive smokers can develop this complication if they are exposed to cigarette smoke for a long period of their lives. As such, it is imperative to keep away such locations. Aside from the threats posed by cigarettes, radon gas and asbestos fibers have been reported to heighten one’s chances of getting lung cancer. Exposure to asbestos fibers in the workplace sparks the development of asbestos related lung cancer. On the other hand, radon gas contains radioactive materials that heighten the development of this complication. Finally, having a lung complication increases the risk factors of getting this medical complication by five times as opposed to a non-smoker. For instance, pulmonary fibrosis heightens one’s risks up to seven times as opposed to other smoking related scenarios.
What treatments are available?
There are a number of interventions utilized in the treatment of lung cancer. However, the method selected is dependent on the patient’s overall health, preferences and the stage of cancer development. For starters, lung surgery is a common treatment approach where the surgeon physically removes the lymph nodes from the chest cavity to check for the presence of carcinogens. In cases where the presence of the disease is properly established, chemotherapy is initiated to kill the cancer cells. This approach involves the utilization of drugs to minimize the effects of the medical complication. It is often used after surgery to kill the cancer cells that are still in the patient’s body system. Radiotherapy is another remedy to lung cancer. It involves the utilization of X-Rays to kill the cancer cells. The rays can be directly exposed to the body or through needle injections. The medical practitioner needs to evaluate the condition of a patient before recommending a treatment approach.
Is it the result of one or many genes?
Cancer development is as a result of many genes. However, there are two common gene abnormalities that heighten the chances of developing this complications. These genes are the epidermal growth factor receptor (ECFR) and the Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) (Cancer.net, 2012). These genes provide instructions to make proteins embedded in the cell membrane. Mutations on either of these genes lead to the secretion of protein that is constantly alleviated. Consequently, the cells are signaled to proliferate continuously leading to the growth of tumors. When these genes are located in the lungs, this form of cancer develops. Therefore, one is justified to claim that lung cancer is caused by many genes.
Is this type of cancer inherited or acquired?
Lung cancer is predominantly an acquired form of cancer. This situation is largely attributed to the fact that its development is associated with behavioral activities such as smoking and exposure to asbestos. Additionally, the fact that the chances of one getting the complication are heightened when one suffers from another lung related medical complication affirms the fact that lung cancer is acquired and not inherited.
Conclusion
Ongoing research
Many medical research institutions have invested a lot of time and resources to facilitate the betterment of the treatment measures. For instance, doctors are currently working on a treatment approach known as Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer treatment. This intervention is mainly focused on best treating this complication by offering better care to the people diagnosed with this complication. Moreover, enlightenment campaigns are being initiated to inform the public of influential methods to minimize the development of this complication through stopping of tobacco usage on affected patients.
Potential treatments
Research departments are looking into the implementation of immunotherapy in the treatment of lung cancer. This approach involves the administration of medication to people who have a risk factor for the development of this complication. Additionally, the NSCLC research proposes the introduction of improved screening approaches that would heighten the chances of detecting the complication before the development of symptoms (Cancer.net, 2012). Finally, this department proposes the implementation of better surgery and radiation therapy. The doctors are trying to look into the introduction of more appropriate treatment methodologies.
Key research groups
There are many research institutions promising commendable achievements in the treatment of lung cancer. They include the Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Brindle Group and other organizations in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Reference
Cancer.org. (2016). Lung Cancer American Cancer Society. Cancer.org. Retrieved 22 April 2016, from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lungcancer/
Cancer.net. (2012). Lung Cancer - Non-Small Cell: Latest Research | Cancer.Net. Cancer.Net. Retrieved 22 April 2016, from http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer-non-small-cell/latest-research
