In the United States, there are 60,000 new cases of throat cancer reported a year. My family is part of that statistic. Four years ago, my great-grandfather, Juan, was diagnosed with throat cancer. Unlike the normal prognosis, he passed away just 5 months after he was diagnosed.
Throat cancer is defined as a disease where malignant cells form in the tissues of the pharynx. Throat cancer is also known as pharyngeal cancer. There are different sections that can be affected by throat cancer; these sections include laryngeal, nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, and glottis cancer. Some of the signs and symptoms of this disease include ear pain, sore throat, frequent headaches, and trouble breathing or speaking. If a person has an ongoing cough that doesn’t go away, trouble or pain swallowing, or a lump in the neck or throat, they could possibly have throat cancer.
There are a few different possible causes of throat cancer. One of the causes is the use of tobacco products and excess use of alcohol. Cigarette smoke alone has over 4,000 carcinogens. Some of these carcinogens include benzene, butane, arsenic, ammonia, methoprene, cadmium, formaldehyde, and tar. Smoking results in 75 to 85% of cases of throat cancer reported. Excess use of alcohol may also cause throat cancer. Alcohol makes it easier for the tissues of the mouth and throat to absorb the chemicals that cause cancer in tobacco. This is why people who smoke and drink increase their risk of getting cancer. Another possible cause of throat cancer is untreated acid reflux. When acid reflux is left untreated or isn’t treated effectively, it can cause Barrett’s esophagus. This then can lead to cancer to the esophagus, which is part of the throat. One of the last...
... middle of paper ...
...pletely curable and hopefully fewer cases will be reported.
Works Cited
1. "Throat Cancer." Nih.gov. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011. .
2. "Chemotherapy for Throat Cancer." Cancercenter.com. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .
3. "Larynx Cancer." Medicinenet.com. HONcode Standard for Trustworthy Health, 21 Jan. 2011. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. .
4. "Cancer- Throat or Larynx." Myoptumhealth.com. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. .
5. "Laryngeal Cancer." Webmd.com. URAC, 7 Oct. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. .
Thyroid cancer has a multitude of symptoms that one can use to idenfity it. For example, a lump on your neck, pain in the throat or neck, difficulty swallowing, and swollen lymph nodes are all examples
According to “Medical News Today” cancer is a disease that is caused by an over growth of anomalous cells on one or more lungs. Cells often go up the air pipes which can cause difficulty to breath. Due to the over production of cells the tissue cells often begin to over produce; which results in tumors. There are two types of tumors: malignant and benign. Malignant tumors are the more dangerous of the two due to its invasive nature; which makes it cancerous. While benign is not invasive in other words non-cancerous. This is why cancer spreads to multiple areas and can be sometimes very difficult to fight. Cancer cells are abnormal not only because of their evasive nature, but also because of its irregular life cycle. Rather than expire like a regular cell, they continuously grow and duplicate which causes the disease to spread. This makes cell abnormal in shape and other qualities; known as a sickle cell. Due to the large growth and reproduction rate of the cells this makes the spreading of the cancer more rapid. Each cancer has specific symptom, for lung cancer the sympto...
Lung cancer is considered to be the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. There are approximately about 180,000 cases that are diagnosed in America, considering that 90% dies thru lung cancer alone. Despite of its number, it is the most preventable of all the cancers. Like every cancer it spreads out fast if not taken seriously, this due the abnormal growth of cells. The abnormal cell growth often leads to the formation of tumor. This cancer is very common and very deadly. The following common symptoms of lung cancer may include excessive coughing, chest pain, shortness in breath, hoarse voice, swelling on the face and neck, unexplained loss of appetite and tiredness. It may be hard to determine, if a person has a lung cancer. The person needs to be aware of his body and see a doctor as soon as possible. The used of x-ray is commonly used for most patients, providing a visual if any tumor exist. Otherwise, the used of CT and MRI scan is used as well, providing better visual on certain patients.
When you think of lung cancer, you think of smoking, it is the most common cause of cancer but there are many other causes that people don’t think about. You don’t have to be a smoker to develop lung cancer, secondhand smoke, radon, diesel exhaust, air pollution, and some gene changes cause lung cancer as well. The genes that help a cell grow, divide, or stay alive are called oncogenes. The genes that slow down cell division, or cause calls to die when they are supposed to, are called tumor suppressor genes. Cancer can be caused when these oncogenes turn on, or even when these tumor suppressor genes decide to turn off. Most of the genes that cause lung cancer are developed through your life; inherited genes rarely play a huge factor in lung cancer.
Cancer of the lung was nearly nonexistent in the early 1900’s. By the middle of the 20th century an epidemic became apparent throughout the United States and the rest of the world. It is primarily correlated with the widespread abundance of cigarette smoking in the world. The tobacco industry has multiplied its production immediately prior to World War I. There was a typical 20 to 30 year lagging period between the initiation of cigarette smoking and the actual tumor formation in the lungs. Lung cancer is the cancer that originates in the tissues of the lungs. It occurs when cells in the lung start to grow rapidly in an uncontrolled manner. Lung cancer can start anywhere in the lungs and affect any part of the respiratory system. Most of all lung cancer cases start in the lining of the bronchi (health-cares.net, 2005). It is the leading cause of all cancer deaths in the world. During this time the tobacco companies would continue to say that cigarette smoking was not addictive and did not cause any type of cancer. Even with all evidence in the world today about tobacco causing cancer, Tobacco companies still remain the most profitable business in the world. Lung cancer is very common in both women and men. Women account for about 40 percent of the lung cancer cases in the world. Women who smoke are more than twice as likely to develop lung cancer as those of men who smoke (Tavor, 2005).
When people hear the word cancer, they automatically think death. Worldwide cancer is the leading cause of death. Cancer is also the second leading cause of death in the United States. One out of every four deaths in the United States is due to cancer. In the year 2012 1.9 million deaths were caused by lung cancer, 745,000 deaths were caused by liver cancer, 723,000 deaths were caused by stomach cancer, 694,000 deaths were caused by colorectal cancer, 521,000 deaths were caused by breast cancer, and 400,000 deaths were caused by esophageal cancer. These cancers are also the main types of cancers.
Isn’t it overwhelming to consider the fact that approximately one in eight deaths in the world are due to cancer? To make this more comprehensible, the number of deaths caused by cancer is greater than caused by AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Along with the idea that this disease does not have a definite cure is a mind-staggering concept to grasp. If not caught in time, cancer means guaranteed death. These types of thoughts were floating around my head when my mother had told me that my father had mouth cancer.
Wexner Med. Corp. "Oral Cancer and Tobacco." Oral Cancer and Tobacco. Ohio State University, Aug. 2010. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
There are over 7,000 chemicals present in tobacco smoke. Of those over 250 are deemed harmful, and of those 69 are cancer causing. Those cancer causing substances are called carcinogens (Nugel). It is clear that cancer and smoking can be linked. Smoking causes cancer of the lung esophagus, larynx, mouth,...
The East Pennsboro elementary school raised money for a statue at a local park. The statue was a ring of children that were holding hands. There was one child missing; the link was broken. The statue was dedicated to East Pennsboro students that did not make it to their graduation. My sophomore year of high school inspired this piece of artwork.
4. Prevention (CDC). Cancer survivors – United States, 2007. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. March 11, 2011; 60(9): 269-272
Smoking causes many other types of cancer, including cancers of the throat, mouth, nasal cavity, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and cervix, and even leukemia has been found linked to smoking. Also, people who smoke are up to six times more likely to suffer a heart attack than nonsmokers, and the risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked. Smoking also causes most cases of chronic obstructive lung disease. Also, approximately 49,400 deaths have been due to exposure to secondhand smoke. 3,000 nonsmoking adults die of diseases caused by exposure to second-hand smoke every year.
Nicotine is the chemical in tobacco that most impacts the brain and provides near instantaneous feelings of pleasure associated with smoking. People who smoke usually have ruff skin or other things that are wrong with them. Tar will also stain smoker’s fingers, their teeth, and collects in their lungs (Eshrick 32). Lung cancer is the most common cancers that most people have. Studies have proven that one out of every four people die from lung cancer, and ninety percent of cancer is caused by tobacco use (Eshrick 62). Bladder cancer may occur when smokers inhale some of the carcinogens in tobacco smoke are absorbed from the lungs and get into the blood, then filtered by the kidneys and concentrated into the urine. If the victim smokes more than twenty cigarettes a day it can double the risk of the most common type of kidney cancer (Eshrick 55). The last cancer is cervical cancer, the chemicals damage the cervix. There are cells in the lining of the cervix called Langerhans cells that specifically help fight against diseases. These cells do not work well in smokers (Eshrick
Approximately one in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age. The most common of the diseases caused by smoking is cancer, of course. Not only is it a cause of lung cancer, but cancer of the larynx, and the esophagus, and it contributes to the development of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, and kidney. Lung cancer comes from the tar in the cigarettes.