Lung cancer can be treated successfully if diagnosed early, but some forms are aggressive and difficult to treat. Smoking is a common cause, but exposure to carcinogens, radiation, and radon gas can also contribute. Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, but some patients may opt for supportive care.
Lung cancer is a major killer of people in many countries. In some cases, it can be treated successfully and does not result in death. In fact, it’s more likely to respond well to treatment when it’s diagnosed and treated early. Unfortunately, however, some forms of lung cancer are more aggressive or difficult to treat than others, and early detection does not guarantee cure.
The lungs are the organs used in breathing. When a person inhales, their lungs take in oxygen; when he exhales, they release carbon dioxide. These organs are pink and have a rubbery appearance on the outside but are spongy on the inside. There are many things that can contribute to the development of lung cancer, but cigarette smoking is among the most likely culprits.
Unfortunately, this type of cancer sometimes develops in people who have never smoked as well as those who have not been exposed to secondhand smoke frequently. Other possible causes of this type of cancer include exposure to carcinogens, especially when the carcinogen is something that can be inhaled. Repeated exposure to radiation and radon gas can also contribute to the development of this cancer.
Often, a person who has lung cancer will have no symptoms early in the course of the disease. Typically, a person only notices symptoms after the cancer has been developing for some time. An individual with this disease may develop symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, wheezing, and hoarseness. Sometimes a person who already has a chronic cough notices a change in her symptoms, which could be a sign of this type of cancer. Additionally, an individual with this disease may also experience chest pains, unexplained headaches, or back pain.
The treatment used when a person has lung cancer typically depends on a number of factors, including the stage of the cancer at the time of treatment, their overall health other than the cancer, and the type of lung cancer they have. Patient preferences are also usually taken into consideration. Typically, treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, drug therapy, and clinical trials involving experimental treatment methods.
Sometimes, a patient decides they don’t want treatment. For example, he might decide that the side effects are too hard to bear and choose to avoid treatments that might cure him. In other cases, a doctor may inform a patient that there is little or no hope for a cure. In such a case, a patient may opt for supportive care, which is used to keep him comfortable rather than treating his cancer.
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