LUNG CANCER

Lung cancer is a disease with characteristic presence of uncontrolled cell growth in lung tissue. If not treated, the growth of these cells can spread outside of the lungs through a process called metastasis into nearby tissue or other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary lung cancers, are carcinomas derived from epithelial cells. The main types of lung cancer is SCLC (small cell lung cancer), or also called wheat cell cancer, and NSCLC (lung cancer non-small-cell). The most common symptom is coughing (including coughing up blood), weight loss and shortness of breath.

1. Lung Cancer Non-Small Cell (NSCLC)
NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer, and not as aggressive as compared with SCLC. NSCLC tend to grow and spread more slowly. When diagnosed early, surgery and / or radiotherapy, chemotherapy, may provide hope for a cure.

2. Lung Cancer-small cell lung (SCLC)
SCLC is a cancer that has a rapid growth rate and rapidly spread to the bloodstream and into the other limb. Often, these cancers are categorized as complex disease when diagnosed. This cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy rather than surgical procedures. 

The most common cause of lung cancer is exposure in the long term to tobacco smoke, which causes 80-90% of lung cancers. Non-smoker reaches 10-15% of lung cancer cases, and these cases are usually caused by a combination of genetic factors, radon gas, asbestos, and air pollution including secondhand smoke. Lung cancer can be seen through the chest x-rays and computed tomography (CT scan). diagnosis can be confirmed with a biopsy is usually performed via bronchoscopy procedure or guided by CT. Care and outcomes in the long term depends on the type of cancer, the stage (degree of spread), and the patient's overall health status, measured by the general conditions.

Treatment usually involves surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. NSCLC is usually handled through surgery, whereas SCLC usually responds better to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Overall, 15% of the population in the United States are diagnosed with lung cancer achieving a life expectancy of five years after diagnosis. Globally, cancer lung is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women, and is responsible for 1.38 million deaths each year, until 2008.