Lung cancer
hideLung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs. The vast majority of primary lung cancers are carcinomas of the lung, derived from epithelial cells. Lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and the second most common in women (after breast cancer), is responsible for 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, coughing (including coughing up blood), and weight loss.
The main types of lung cancer are small cell lung carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma. This distinction is important, because the treatment varies; non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is sometimes treated with surgery, while small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) usually responds better to chemotherapy and radiation. The most common cause of lung cancer is long-term exposure to tobacco smoke. The occurrence of lung cancer in nonsmokers, who account for as many as 15% of cases , is often attributed to a combination of genetic factors, radon gas, asbestos, and air pollution, including secondhand smoke.
Lung cancer may be seen on chest radiograph and computed tomography (CT scan). The diagnosis is confirmed with a biopsy. This is usually performed via bronchoscopy or CT-guided biopsy. Treatment and prognosis depend upon the histological type of cancer, the stage (degree of spread), and the patient's performance status. Possible treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. With treatment, the five-year survival rate is 14%.
For more information about Lung cancer, read the full article at
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News tagged with lung cancer
Red wine decreases the risk of lung cancer
Oct 07, 2008 |
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Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men, according to a report in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention¸ a journal of the American Association for Ca ...
OU researchers developing new tool to detect cancer
Aug 26, 2008 |
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Early cancer detection can significantly improve survival rates. Current diagnostic tests often fail to detect cancer in the earliest stages and at the same time expose a patient to the harmful effects of radiation. Led by ...
Growing evidence of marijuana smoke's potential dangers
Aug 05, 2009 |
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In a finding that challenges the increasingly popular belief that smoking marijuana is less harmful to health than smoking tobacco, researchers in Canada are reporting that smoking marijuana, like smoking ...
Carbon Nanotubes Detect Lung Cancer Markers in the Breath
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Nov 20, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Using an array of nanotube devices, each coated with a different organic material, researchers at the Israel Institute of Technology have developed diagnostic system that may be able to diagnose lung cancer ...
Gene which protects against lung cancer identified
Dec 02, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A study led by researchers at The University of Nottingham has identified a gene that protects the body from lung cancer.
Scientists find new genes linked to lung cancer
Oct 22, 2008 |
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Working as part of a multi-institutional collaboration, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have assembled the most complete catalog to date of the genetic changes underlying the most common ...
Common food additive found to increase risk and speed spread of lung cancer
Dec 29, 2008 |
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New research in an animal model suggests that a diet high in inorganic phosphates, which are found in a variety of processed foods including meats, cheeses, beverages, and bakery products, might speed growth of lung cancer ...
Researchers seek to understand and improve virus that infects lung cancer cells
Nov 07, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Using data collected at Advanced Photon Source at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, researchers at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, Calif., have for the first time solved ...
Study links smoking with most male cancer deaths
Jan 21, 2009 |
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The association between tobacco smoke and cancer deaths — beyond lung cancer deaths — has been strengthened by a recent study from a UC Davis researcher, suggesting that increased tobacco control efforts could save more lives ...
Heavy drinkers face significantly increased cancer risk
Aug 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Heavy drinkers of beer and spirits face a much higher risk of developing cancer than the population at large, says a group of Montreal epidemiologists and cancer researchers. Their findings ...
Drug shrinks lung cancer tumors in mice
Nov 10, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A potential new drug for lung cancer has eliminated tumours in 50% of mice in a new study published today in the journal Cancer Research. In the animals, the drug also stopped lung cancer ...
Researchers use drug-radiation combo to eradicate lung cancer
Oct 29, 2009 |
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Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have eliminated non-small cell lung (NSCL) cancer in mice by using an investigative drug called BEZ235 in combination with low-dose radiation.
Why only some former smokers develop lung cancer
Nov 17, 2008 |
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Canadian researchers are trying to answer why some smokers develop lung cancer while others remain disease free, despite similar lifestyle changes.
Researchers link health-care debate to risk of dying in US and Europe
Nov 06, 2009 |
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The current health care debate in the United States is complicated. Trade-offs between heath care expenditures, lifestyle choices and life expectancy have been suggested but seldom clearly demonstrated. The U.S. spends on ...
Nanosensor Arrays 'Smell' Cancer
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Apr 27, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In 2006 researchers established that dogs could detect cancer by sniffing the exhaled breath of cancer patients. Now, using nanoscale arrays of detectors, two groups of investigators have shown that a compact ...
