Asbestos Lung Cancer
Most lung cancer starts in the cells lining the main air
passages, or bronchi. In their cancerous state, these
cells lack cilia which are tiny hair like substances
that normally catch and remove foreign particles inhaled
into the lungs.
Mucous in the lungs which is usually
cleared by bronchial cilia then becomes trapped,
blocking air passages and causing respiratory problems.
Lung cancer symptom are not usually obvious during early
stages of the disease because the first symptoms to
appear are frequently comparable to those of other,
non-malignant respiratory illnesses. Lung cancer
accounts for the largest percentage of cancer deaths in
the western world and it has been proved many times over
that cigarette smoking is directly responsible for most
of those cases. Asbestos can
also cause a variety of lung diseases. It increases the
risk of developing asbestos lung cancer (or mesothelioma
lung cancer, which is cancer of the pleura). There is a
synergistic effect between tobacco smoking and asbestos
in the formation of lung cancer. The condition is
further aggravated by smoking.
Cancer that
originates in the cells of the lungs is called primary
lung cancer; however, it may also spread (metastasize)
to the lung from other parts of the body. Metastatic
lung cancer originated most commonly from the breast,
colon, prostate, kidney, thyroid gland, stomach, cervix,
bone, or skin. Metastatic cancer to the lung is a sign
that the cancer has spread into the bloodstream. Usually
cancer will be present even in places not seen by CT
scans. In these circumstances, removing the visible
tumors by surgery is usually not beneficial.
The stages of lung cancer:
Limited Stage: Cancer is found in one lung and in nearby
lymph nodes.
Extensive Stage: Cancer has spread away from the
lung to other tissues and organs in the chest and other
parts of the body.
Recurrent Stage: This means that
the cancer has returned. It may reappear in the lungs or
in another part of the body.
Lung cancer prognosis is
usually very poor. On average, people with untreated
lung cancer survive 8 months. Even with therapy, the
5-year survival rate is only 13%. People who survive
this disease but continue to smoke are at high risk of
another cancer. Although statistics may paint a gloomy
picture of this disease, but everyone has their own
coping mechanism whether it's their faith, strong family
ties or even just good nutrition or a healthy immune
system.
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