Lung Cancer

Lung and respiratory tract cancer are considered the number one cause of cancer in men and their occurrence is increasing in women due to the increasing number of women smokers. Lung cancer is considered among the complicated and dangerous cancers due the complications resulting from it because of its spread or the severe nature of the tumor.

Smoking is closely tied to the occurrence of this kind of cancers and is the direct cause of more than 90% of lung cancers. The threat of infection is linked to the number of cigarettes and their contents of carcinogens. The means of prevention from most cases of this disease is by avoiding smoking.

There are two major types of lung cancer:
* small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
* non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Causes of lung cancer:
1- Smoking:
Cigarette and narghile smoke contain ingredients whose carcinogen effect on cells has been proven. Secondhand smokers are also considered more exposed to infection.
2- Environmental pollution:
We notice the high occurrence of the disease among the inhabitants of polluted cities than among inhabitants of villages or less polluted cities.
3- Radon Gas
This is a gas resulting from the spread of Uranium and when it interacts it releases carcinogen material. This gas is included in a number of industries.

Symptoms:
1- Cough: the cough is persistent with an abundant secretion of sputum.
2- Shortness of breath and coughing up blood.
3- Chest pain.
4- Voice hoarseness.
5- Difficulty in secreting mucus from the bronchus.

Treatment
1- Surgery in case the cancer did not spread to the rest of the organs.
2- Radiation therapy which decreases the symptoms and treats the spread of cancer and the non-surgically removable cancer.
3- Chemotherapy which is beneficial in the cases of non-surgically removable cancer and raises the level of life expectancy in severe cases of cancer.
4- Alternation between radiation and chemotherapy which might be useful in extremely severe cases.

Ministry of Education and Culture Publications

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