What is lung cancer?

Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells grow. Lung cancer is a type of cancer which manifests itself in the lungs.
More information about lung cancer

The lungs are the organs through which we can breathe. The main function of the lungs to exchange oxygen which all organisms in our body can continue to live. The air enters through the nose where it is filtered, moistened and warm. Then the oxygen through the windpipe to the lungs where it enters the bronchi.

There are two types of cancer, depending on the size of the cells under the microscope: small cell and non-small cell lung cancer called

SCLC: oat cell cancer sometimes called the cancer is most common in smokers. The cancer manifests itself in the mucus of the bronchi. This type of cancer spreads rapidly and move quickly over the body. This type of cancer is about one quarter of all types of lung cancer. Usually, patients who suffer from small cell lung cancer, a smoking history (which can be both active and passive smoking).

Non-small cell lung cancer: This type of cancer is about ten percent of all lung cancer cases and occurs in the small bronchi.
Causes

There is a clear cause of lung cancer: smoking. For the rest there are a few other causes of lung cancer:

- Exposure to asbestos, chromium, nickel, ether, beryllium and arsenic (actually, all heavy metals that you can breathe)
- Passive smoking (passive smoking)

There are some risk factors that cause lung cancer faster you can get:

- Smoking
- Over 50 years
- Smoked have (even though you stopped)
- Passive smoking (you inhale the unfiltered smoke from smokers. This is even more harmful than the filtered smoke inhalation from a cigarette)
- There is cancer in the family
- You already had a lung disease
Symptoms

- Cough
- Coughing up blood
- Pain in the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Tired, not hungry, ...
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weight Loss
- Pneumonia

Depending on the spread of the cancer, you may suffer in other areas (heart, ...).

Lung cancer is treated with chemotherapy.