Sunday, August 12, 2012

MAKLUMAT : Lung Cancer


Lung cancer is one of the main causes of cancer deaths in Malaysia. In fact, 95 per cent of lung cancer patients die within five years of diagnosis. A whopping 90 per cent of lung cancer is caused by cigarette smoking. The occurrence of lung cancer is also high among non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke (passive smoking).


What is Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lungs. These cells lose control of their orderly division and produce a growth called a tumour.

If a tumour is benign, it is not cancerous and will not spread to other parts of the body. A malignant tumour, on the other hand, is cancerous and can invade neighbouring tissues and organs or break away and spread through the bloodstream or lymph channels.

When cancer spreads through the lymph channels, it can cause enlarged glands. When it spreads through the bloodstream, it may invade other organs, especially the liver, bones, brain or the other lung. The cancer that spreads is the same as the primary cancer. This means, lung cancer that spreads to the brain (or another region) is called metastic lung cancer although the new tumour is in the brain (or another organ).

What causes Lung Cancer?
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Tobacco smoke contains some 4,000 different chemicals. Of these, many are carcinogens – harmful substances that damage cells. Over time, these cells can become cancerous. The more a person smokes, the higher the risk of getting cancer – not just of the lung, but also cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, larynx, bladder, kidney, cervix and pancreas. There is also increasing evidence that environmental tobacco smoking (passive smoking) can contribute to lung cancer among non-smokers. Exposure to other carcinogens in the workplace such as asbestos also increases the risk of lung cancer.

The risk is especially high for workers who smoke. Work and safety rules should always be carefully followed to reduce any exposure to workplace carcinogens. Workers who are exposed to high levels of radon, a radioactive gas, also have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Other occupational exposures that have been associated with lung cancer include processing of steel, nickel, chrome and coal gas.






 What is Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the lungs. These cells lose control of their orderly division and produce a growth called a tumour.

If a tumour is benign, it is not cancerous and will not spread to other parts of the body. A malignant tumour, on the other hand, is cancerous and can invade neighbouring tissues and organs or break away and spread through the bloodstream or lymph channels.

When cancer spreads through the lymph channels, it can cause enlarged glands. When it spreads through the bloodstream, it may invade other organs, especially the liver, bones, brain or the other lung. The cancer that spreads is the same as the primary cancer. This means, lung cancer that spreads to the brain (or another region) is called metastic lung cancer although the new tumour is in the brain (or another organ).

What causes Lung Cancer?
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Tobacco smoke contains some 4,000 different chemicals. Of these, many are carcinogens – harmful substances that damage cells. Over time, these cells can become cancerous. The more a person smokes, the higher the risk of getting cancer – not just of the lung, but also cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, larynx, bladder, kidney, cervix and pancreas. There is also increasing evidence that environmental tobacco smoking (passive smoking) can contribute to lung cancer among non-smokers. Exposure to other carcinogens in the workplace such as asbestos also increases the risk of lung cancer.

The risk is especially high for workers who smoke. Work and safety rules should always be carefully followed to reduce any exposure to workplace carcinogens. Workers who are exposed to high levels of radon, a radioactive gas, also have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Other occupational exposures that have been associated with lung cancer include processing of steel, nickel, chrome and coal gas.

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