How can I get Stage 3 Lung Cancer

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Lung cancer is the most common cause of deaths in men and women. It is responsible for 1.3 million deaths. Most common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing, weight loss and difficulty in breathing.

The main types of lung cancer are small cell lung carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma. The treatment of these types of cancer varies. The small cell lung cancer can be treated with chemotherapy and radiation whereas the non-small cell lung carcinoma needs to be treated with surgery. Smoking is one of the major causes of lung cancer. People who are non smokers also develop lung cancer but the cause of the lung cancer could be genetic factor, exposure to asbestos, radon gas and air pollution.

Lung cancer can be detected by computed tomography or a chest radiograph. The diagnosis of lung cancer is done with a biopsy. This is done by a test called the bronchoscopy. The treatment of cancer depends on the type of the cancer, the stage meaning the degree of spread and the patient's response to the treatment. Different types of treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The survival rate is very less and depends on the stage and the treatment of the lung cancer.

Lung cancers are highly heterogeneous. Symptoms of lung cancer are:

CoughingChest pain or pain in the abdomenDyspnea or shortness of breathCoughing up bloodHoarse voiceWeight loss and not being able to eatClubbing of the fingernailsDifficulty in swallowing

Depending upon the organ that has been infected with cancer, the symptom can be seen. If the growth of cancer takes place in the airway, then it may cause difficulty in breathing. This leads to accumulation of secretions resulting to pneumonia. Some of the lung cancers have a rich blood supply. The surface of the cancer is very delicate and sometimes leads to bleeding from the cancer into the airway.

In lung cancer, this phenomenon might include weakness in the muscles due to auto-antibodies. Tumors in the top of the lung invade the local part of the nervous system, which lead to eye muscle problems.

Some of the symptoms of lung cancer are baseless. They include fever, weight loss and bone pain. In many patients, the cancer spreads fast and by the time the symptoms are seen and checked, the cancer already reaches its last stage. About 10 % of people who have lung cancer do not have the symptoms of cancer at the time of diagnosis, they are incidentally found on the regular chest check ups.

The main causes of cancer include carcinogens, radiation and viral infection. This exposure causes changes in the DNA in the tissue lining the bronchi of the lungs and as these tissues become damaged, a cancer gets developed.

Smoking is one of the most important factors for developing cancer. Almost 90% of the deaths are caused by smoking. The time a person smokes increases a person's chance of developing lung cancer. Even the inhalation of smoke from another person's smoking can cause lung cancer.

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