Lung cancer

Lungs are one of the biggest organs in a human body. Divided into two as the left and right lungs, this is the region of the body where the air we breathe is separated so that oxygen reaches our blood, our only source of making energy. So what is lung cancer? The cells in each lung, and the whole body for that matter, go through the usual life cycle of living and dying. It is when old cells die that new cells should be formed to take their place. In the case of lung cancer, cells keep producing new cells when the other cells are perfectly normal, which means there is an excess of cells in a particular area of the lung. The new cells are there as an excess, as they have no function in the lungs till the old ones die. Hence extra cells in the lungs stay together as a growth, more commonly known as tumors. Tumors can be of two kinds – benign or malignant. While benign tumors are present in the body as a mass but cause no harm as they do not keep dividing nor do they spread, malignant tumors are what can cause harm in a person’s body as these cells do not stop dividing and producing new cells. These malignant tumors can cause harm to the person, and could cause more harm by spreading throughout the body through the lymph system to other parts of the body.

It is well advertised today that tobacco usage is considered one of the biggest causes of lung cancer. Unfortunately being a smoker yourself is not the only means of being affected by tobacco smoke. Second hand smoking can have the same effect. So if you live with someone who smokes a lot, work in an area where there are lots of smokers around, or are in any way in the presence of smoke from a cigarette, you are at the same risk that the person who is smoking is in. Tobacco smoke has carcinogens, chemicals that cause cells to start dividing irregularly and out of ‘tune’, thereby producing an excess number of cells in a particular part of the body. There have been many lawsuits against tobacco companies as they are not said to have made the impact tobacco has in the causation of lung cancer clear for the public. It is now the law that every cigarette packet should have a warning in bold letters mentioning how ‘tobacco is harmful to health’.

Depending on the severity of cancer, therapy varies for each individual. Doctor’s would prescribe one or a combination of the following few as treatment methods, depending on each individual. Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are some of the most common treatments for lung cancer. But always remember, the fastest cure to lung cancer, or any other disease, is a positive frame of mind!