Lung Cancer: The Cause And Effects Of Lung Cancer

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Cancer is an ever increasing issue throughout the world today. If you were told you were at high risk of having cancer, how would you react? Would you face the fact you have a low probable chance of living and cherish your last years, or would you find ways to avert this scenario from occurring? Most people are affected by cancer in some way and cope with the problem differently. One of the most common and deadly cancer is lung cancer. It is the leading cancer death for both men and women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer causes 7.6 million deaths globally and 1.37 million of the deaths are from lung cancer, the most out of all other cancers. Although lung cancer is widespread, one can deal with the fact of possibly …show more content…

The abnormal cells divide rapidly and form tumors. There are two types of tumors as well as lung cancers. Benign tumors are tumors that remain in one place and do not spread. Malignant tumors, which are more dangerous, spread to other parts of the body. When the cancerous cells expand, it is harder to treat successfully. The two types of lung cancers are primary lung cancer, where it originates in the lung, and secondary lung cancer, where it starts from somewhere else in the body, and spreads to the lungs. As the tumors grow larger and numerous, they weaken the lung’s ability to supply the bloodstream with oxygen. Furthermore, most lung cancers are the result of inhaling carcinogenic substances. Carcinogens are directly responsible for damaging DNA and causing cancer. Examples of this class of substances are radiations such as x-rays, the sun, compounds in car exhaust fumes, and the main cause for lung cancer, tobacco. According to What Is Lung Cancer?, about 87% of lung cancers are related to smoking and inhaling the carcinogens in tobacco smoke. The individuals who are affected by lung cancer may show symptoms years later, usually when the disease has already reached the advanced stage. Some symptoms include persistent or intense coughing, difficulty breathing and swallowing, hoarseness of the voice, coughing up blood, and many more. In order to completely diagnose lung cancer, …show more content…

Cancer could be prevented through various healthy lifestyle choices and nutrition, however, it cannot be fully stopped. This may be due to outside factors as well as the choices one makes. An environmental factor is exposure to radon in the home. Radon is a radioactive gas that is produced by the natural decay of uranium in the soil and is found in areas such as cracks in the foundation of homes. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and leading cause for non-smokers. According to Environmental Causes of Lung Cancer, an estimated 21,000 people develop lung cancer from radon each year. A person’s occupation may also cause them to have an increased risk to lung cancer. An occupational exposure is working with asbestos, such as working with asbestos insulation in homes. Without proper protection, exposure to asbestos too much can result in lung cancer. Even with precaution, sometimes cancer just cannot be stopped. However, that does not mean a person should be careless with their everyday choices. In order to lead a life of anticancer, each individual should exercise daily, for at least 30 minutes, while eating healthy food such as fruits and vegetables, and not so much sugary and processed food. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), they estimated that 30% to 40% of cancers could be prevented based on a healthy diet and moderate exercise alone. Every choice

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