Small Cell Lung Cancer example essay topic

Lung cancer, what is it? How is it diagnosed? When someone brings up a subject like lung cancer, many people don't have a lot of information. There may be a lot of questions running through their heads. This paper is designed to get all of the questions answered and show people a path to prevention.

It includes information on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. This information can make it easier to understand what people with lung cancer are going through and for you what to watch for. If a person is diagnosed with lung cancer they may have one of the two main types; Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Small Cell Lung Cancer. The most common type is Non-Small; it makes up about 80 percent of all cases. This type of lung cancer grows and spreads the slowest of the two.

It is divided into three subcategories; squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinomas. Small Cell Lung Cancer makes up about 20 percent of all cancer cases. These produce rapidly to form large tumors. They usually spread to more internal organs than just your lungs. Mainly, they are caused my smoking and second-hand smoke.

Who is at risk? The majority of people that are diagnosed with Lung Cancer are in a few elite groups. One of the groups is made up of people who smoke constantly, or are around second-hand smoke. Another is the age group of about 50-60 year-olds, with a background of smoking. Males have a one-third higher change of getting lung cancer than women do. Race matters too.

African-Americans seem to have a higher chance of developing it than Caucasians. Overall, Americans have a seven percent chance of getting lung cancer in their lifetime. Cancer, in general, is a treatable disease, but as far as our technology goes, it is not always fully curable. It is often not diagnosed until it is too far along in its stages. Surveys show there is an 11-14 percent survival rate after treatment. The death rate for men is about 10 percent higher than women.

For those who don't have lung cancer it is important to take the precautions to reduce your risk of getting it. The best prevention is to not smoke or be around people that do. Smoking may be responsible for more than 80 percent of cases. A lifetime smoker has a 20-30 times greater risk of developing the disease. The good news is that even if you have smoked for a long time, quitting has almost immediate results.

Regular exercise is another way to prevent this type of cancer. During exercise, a constant flow of fresh air is getting into your lungs and pumping clean blood through. A low fat and high fiber diet also helps; especially eating green vegetables and carrots. Symptoms may appear at any time. It is important to check with a doctor, if any of the following symptoms occur: this could save your like in the future.

1) A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time, 2) Constant chest pain and coughing up blood, 3) Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness, 4) Repeated problems with pneumonia or bronchitis, and 5) Swelling of the neck and face. Recognizing these symptoms early may save a persons life. Lung cancer should be suspected in any smoker with new or old respiratory symptoms. If a person is diagnosed with cancer, the doctor will want to learn the extent of the disease. He or she will try to find the stage of the disease and find out if the cancer has spread.

If the cancer has spread it usually goes to the brain or the bones. Once the doctor has the test results, he or she can plan treatment. Almost all patients with lung cancer want all of the details and information on what will be going on. This reduces anxiety, even when the news is bad. Treatment for lung cancer depends on the type of lung cancer, the size, the location, the extent of the tumor, and the health of the patient. The main treatment for almost all cancers is chemotherapy, which is the use of anticancer drugs to kill the cancer throughout the body.

Surgery may be used to remove the tumors, if they are easy to get to and remove without hurting the patient. Also, radiation therapy can be used. It is the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Finally, doctors can also use Photodynamic therapy, which is a type of laser therapy with a special chemical that is put into your body.

The effects of treating cancer come in all forms. Most of the side effects to the treatment are only temporary, but they depend on what type of treatment is given, plus they vary with every person. After chemotherapy the effects include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, mouth sores, and extreme weariness. A side effect of surgery is air and fluid going into the chest, which causes great pains. Side effects for Radiotherapy are sore and dry throat, difficulty swallowing, fatigue, skin changes, loss of appetite, and problems with memory and thought processes.

Photodynamic Therapy makes patients very sensitive to light for six weeks or more after treatment. If they are out in the direct sunlight their skin will get red, blistered, and / or swollen. Follow-up care after treatment for lung cancer is very important. Regular checkups make sure that when life gets back to normal, and if the cancer returns or a new cancer develops, it should be treated as soon as possible. When patients go in for a check-up they have physical exams, chest x-rays, or lab tests. If any symptoms appear again notify the doctor right away.

Home nurses are also available. They can teach post-treated patients how to breath the correct way, which reduces anxiety, so that they can get back on their feet and get on the road to being themselves again.