Lung Cancer
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Science Report – Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that form in one or both lungs, usually in the cells of air passages. The abnormal cells do not develop into healthy lung tissue, but instead divide rapidly and form tumours, which undermine the lung’s ability to provide the bloodstream with oxygen. Cancerous tumours are called malignant tumours, which spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. This process of the cancer spreading beyond its site of origin to other parts of the body is called metastasis, which causes lung cancer to be much harder to treat successfully. Primary lung cancer originates in the lungs, while secondary lung cancer starts elsewhere in the body, metastasises and reaches the lungs. They are considered different and are treated differently.
Cancer is ultimately the result of cells that uncontrollably grow and do not die. Normal cells in the body follow an orderly path of growth, division, and death. Programmed cell death is called apoptosis, and when this process breaks down, cancer begins to form. The diagram illustrates the process of apoptosis, and highlights the process of regular cell deaths. However, unlike regular cells, cancer cells do not experience programmatic death and instead continue to grow and divide. This leads to a mass of abnormal cells that grows out of control. Lung cancer occurs when a lung cell's gene mutation makes the cell unable to correct DNA damage and unable to die. Mutations can occur for a variety of reasons. Most lung cancers are the result of inhaling carcinogenic substances.
Carcinogens are a type of substances that are directly responsible for damaging DNA, and causing lung cancer. Tobacco, asbestos, arsenic, radiation such as gamma and x-rays, the sun, air pollution and compounds in car exhaust fumes are all examples of carcinogens. When our bodies are exposed to carcinogens, highly reactive atoms called free radicals are formed that try to steal electrons from other molecules in the body. These free radicals damage cells and affect their ability to function and divide normally, eventually possibly forming tumours and lung cancer. Approximately 87% of lung cancers are directly related to smoking and inhaling the carcinogens in cigarettes and tobacco smoke. Even exposure to smoke from cigarettes by non smokers (second-hand smoke) can damage cells, thus forming cancer. The picture above compares healthy lungs to tar filled smoker’s lungs, with cancerous tumours already forming.
Lung cancer can also be the result of a genetic predisposition that is inherited from family members. It is possible to be born with certain genetic mutations or a fault in a gene that makes one statistically more likely to develop cancer later in life. Genetic mutations are thought to either directly cause lung cancer or greatly increase a person's chances of developing lung cancer from exposure to certain environmental factors.
The effects lung cancer has on the body are associated with the location of the cancer and the degree to which the disease has advanced. ...
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Lung cancer can also be the result of a genetic predisposition that is inherited from family members. It is possible to be born with certain genetic mutations or a fault in a gene that makes one statistically more likely to develop cancer later in life. Genetic mutations are thought to either directly cause lung cancer or greatly increase a person's chances of developing lung cancer from exposure to certain environmental factors.
The effects lung cancer has on the body are associated with the location of the cancer and the degree to which the disease has advanced. Figure 1.1 highlights the specific locations of the lung that the tumour may form, and the anatomy of the lungs. Lung cancer symptoms may take years before appearing, usually after the disease is already in an advanced stage. General features may include unexplained weight loss, night sweats, hoarseness of the voice and coughing up blood. If the lung cancer spreads, or metastasises, additional symptoms can present themselves in the newly affected area. Swollen or enlarged lymph nodes are common and likely to be present early. In addition, the liver may become enlarged and cause jaundice and bones can become painful, brittle, and broken. It is also possible for the cancer to infect the adrenal glands resulting in hormone level changes. If the cancer is in the bronchi or trachea leading to the lungs, it can be harder for air to pass into and out of the lungs. If this occurs, the decreased air movement can result in a wheezing noise upon breathing, as well as difficulty breathing. In more advanced lung cancer, the tumour may affect neighbouring tissues and cause problems with the heart and nerves that run to the face and arms, vocal cords, or diaphragm. The cancer may also grow to the point of invading the oesophagus causing difficulty swallowing. Lung cancer eventually prevents the lungs from providing oxygen to the body, through a malignant tumour blockage, and low oxygen levels occur. This will often finally kill the infected person.
The effects of lung cancer on everyday living can also be detrimental, severely impairing the quality of life of patients. Lung cancer can make it hard to breathe, and the shortness of breath can furthermore cause anxiety and stress and hinder physical activity, preventing a patient from being as active as they may once have been. They may lack energy and feel fatigued, and also struggle with the grief, shock and denial that so often accompanies a cancer diagnosis. Lung cancer can cause individuals, family members and friends profound suffering, resulting in an emotionally demanding time for all affected. Patients will often be confined to hospital beds for long periods of time, and coping with lung cancer can be especially frightening and difficult after treatment, such as chemotherapy and surgery. This is due to the significant physical side effects of cancer treatments, such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss and fatigue, causing patients to suffer an overall decreased quality of life.
There are several methods of treatment available for lung cancer, depending on the type of lung cancer, the patient’s age and overall health, and the stage of lung cancer (how far the cancer has metastasised). From these factors, the doctors will choose the best treatment option available for the patient. Moreover, sometimes doctors may even combine treatments together for the benefit of the patient. Curative treatment is available for patients who have a chance of being completely free of the disease. However, if a patient’s lung cancer cannot be cured completely, treatment is still given to reduce patient’s sufferings, make the patient more comfortable and improve quality of life. This treatment is called palliative management. Some of the treatment options currently used include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Surgery aims to remove the part of the lung that is affected by cancer, whether it is the whole lung or simply part of it. Under this treatment, surgery may be carried out through laser surgery, in which a high energy beam of light destroys the cancer cells in the tumour, or other methods. Chemotherapy is another form of treatment that fights cancer and helps to stop it from spreading to other parts of the lung or even to other organs. They are given by intravenous drips (I/V), where the medicine is delivered into the patient’s veins by tubes, or given by a single injection. Chemotherapy may also be medicated through tablets. Radiation therapy is also one of the commonly used method of lung cancer treatment. Radiation therapy involves high energy radiation being delivered by a machine directing high energy rays towards the cancer to kill it. Alternatively, a radioactive tablet can also be implanted in or near the lung tumour to destroy cancerous cells.
Finally, lung cancer takes an enormous toll on society, placing a huge economical burden on society in terms of disability and premature mortality, and also in direct health service costs, drugs prescribed and the indirect costs related to lost production. Lung cancer has one of the most devastating economic impacts of any cause of death in the world, as a result of disability and premature death. The lost years of life and productivity caused by lung cancer represent the single largest drain on the global economy, compared to other diseases such as HIV and heart disease. The economic burdens of cancer results in loss of income in low-income countries, where sickness or death can quickly undermine family finances in societies. This further hampers economic development prospects in many nations, in which many countries are losing almost 1% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to lung cancer. Without targeted cost effective interventions, the silent pandemic of cancer has spread through low and middle income countries due to lack of awareness surrounding smoking. Some public health systems and social structures have already become threatened as a result of lung cancer, with $180 billion in damage annually on the global economy. To conclude, compelling evidence from many cancer foundations suggest that balancing the world’s global health agenda, such as international programs to reduce tobacco, will not only avert needless deaths and suffering from lung cancer but also reduce its devastating economical, societal and physical impacts.
Bibliography:
https://www.sharecare.com/health/lung-cancer/how-impact-lung-cancer-body
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5771843_Psychosocial_factors_in_lung_cancer_Quality_of_life_economic_impact_and_survivorship_implications
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung_cancer#Causes
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/lung-cancer/symptoms-diagnosis-lung-cancer.php
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/type/lung-cancer/about/lung-cancer-symptoms
http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/lung-cancer/diagnosis-symptoms/
