Archive for March, 2010

What are different causes of Lung Cancer ?

The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking. It is one of the few cancers where there is a clear cause in many cases. Lung cancer is predominantly a disease of the elderly; almost 70% of people diagnosed with lung cancer are over 65 years of age, while less than 3% of lung cancers occur in people under 45 years of age.

- Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, many of which have been identified as causing cancer. A cell that is damaged may become cancerous over a period of time.
- In general, though, a smoker’s chances of developing cancer depends on the age that the person began smoking, how long the person has smoked and how many cigarettes per day the person smokes.
- Passive smoking may also increase the risk for developing lung cancer.
- Air pollution from motor vehicles, factories, and other sources probably increase the risk for lung cancer.
- Asbestos exposure increases the risk of lung cancer by nine times. A combination of asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking raises the risk to as much as 50 times.
- Radon is a by-product of naturally occurring radium, which is a product of uranium. The risk for lung cancer increases with significant long-term exposure to radon, although no one knows the exact risk.
- Air pollution may cause lung cancer.
- Having had a disease that caused scarring in the lungs may be a risk factor for a type of lung cancer called adenocarcinoma of the lung. Tuberculosis (TB) can make scar tissue form in the lungs.
- Pipe and cigar smoking also can cause lung cancer, although the risk is not as high as with cigarette smoking.
- Survivors of lung cancer have a greater risk of developing a second lung cancer than the general population has of developing a first lung cancer.
- Certain reports indicate that diet low in fruits and vegetables may increase the chances of getting cancer, if you are exposed to tobacco smoke.
- Viruses are known to cause lung cancer in animals and recent evidence suggests similar potential in humans.

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Lung Cancer – where it originates.

Lung 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.

Malignant tumors, on the other hand, grow aggressively and invade other tissues of the body, allowing entry of tumor cells into the bloodstream or lymphatic system and then to other sites in the body. This process of spread is termed metastasis; the areas of tumor growth at these distant sites are called metastases. Since lung cancer tends to spread or metastasize very early after it forms, it is a very life-threatening cancer and one of the most difficult cancers to treat.

The lung also is a very common site for metastasis from tumors in other parts of the body. Usually lung cancer, develops within the wall or epithelium of the bronchial tree. But it can start anywhere in the lungs and affect any part of the respiratory system. Lung cancer mostly affect people between the ages of 55 and 65 and often takes many years to develop. Once it occurs, cancer cells can break away and may spread to the lymph nodes or other tissues in the chest, including the lung opposite to where it originated. It may also spread to other organs of the body, such as the bones, brain or liver.

The principal function of the lungs is to exchange gases between the air we breathe and the blood. The major airways entering the lungs are the bronchi, which arise from the trachea. Lung cancers can arise in any part of the lung, but 90%-95% of cancers of the lung are thought to arise from the epithelial cells, the cells lining the larger and smaller airways (bronchi and bronchioles); for this reason, lung cancers are sometimes called bronchogenic cancers or bronchogenic carcinomas.

What are the major side effects after the treatment for prostate cancer ?

Following treatment for prostate cancer, some men may experience :
From the day you were diagnosed with cancer, you’ve probably looked forward to getting back to your “normal” life. However, the disease may have dominated your life for so long that it might take some time to get back into your regular routine after your treatment is done. It’s important to give yourself and your loved ones time to adjust.

Incontinence

The inability to control urination affects about 10 percent of men who have been treated for prostate cancer.
- Stress incontinence
- Overflow incontinence
- Urge incontinence
Normal bladder function often returns within weeks after surgery or after radiation treatments have stopped.

Impotence

Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, is the inability to have an erection. Impotence can result from surgery, radiation therapy, or hormone therapies. In the months following surgery, some potency may return.
- Drugs such as sildenafil (Viagra) can help a man achieve an erection.
- Vacuum devices also assist in achieving an erection.
- Penile implants can be inserted surgically to help create an erection.

Physical Discomfort

Physical discomfort after treatment for prostate cancer may include:
- Fatigue caused by radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapies.
- Nausea and vomiting caused by radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
- Hair loss from chemotherapy.