Lung cancer begins when normal cells of the body undergo a permanent transformation in which the cells become abnormal and begin to grow out of control. This process is known as mutation. These changes can take place anywhere in the respiratory tract, from the bronchus (windpipe) to the alveoli (small, sac-like structures deep within the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged).
Risk Factors for Lung Cancer
There are many factors that have been associated with the development of lung cancer, with tobacco smoke contributing to almost 90 percent of all cases. Cigarettes aside, environmental exposure to things like secondhand smoke, air pollution and radon (a colorless, odorless gas that is found in soil and rocks) have also been known to cause cancer.
Chronic workplace exposure to industrial, cancer-causing toxins such as arsenic, radiation or asbestos can also lead to cancer--as does having a family history of lung cancer or having other respiratory illnesses such as COPD or tuberculosis.
Symptoms of Lung Cancer
The most common symptom of lung cancer is a cough that won't go away. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, hemoptysis (coughing up blood), wheezing (a high-pitched whistling sound made during breathing) and pain in the back, shoulders, chest or arms. If you have a cough that changes in character, you should see your doctor for a chest X-ray.
Prognosis of Lung Cancer
When diagnosed early enough and treated with surgery, lung cancer can be entirely curable. Unfortunately, in many cases, a diagnosis of lung cancer comes after the disease has spread to other parts of the body, leaving no option of surgery. Having inoperable lung cancer, however, doesn't mean that lung cancer can't be treated. There are many treatment options available for lung cancer that can help increase survival, improve qualify of life and perhaps even result in remission.
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