Health&Wellness Magazine October 2015 | Page 25

For advertising information visit www.samplerpublications.com or call 859.225.4466 | October 2015 Lung Cancer Rated in Stages Leading cause of cancer death in this country and the world By Jean Jeffers, Staff Writer Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the United States, as well as the leading cause of death due to cancer in the world. The National Cancer Institute reports in the United States, approximately one out of every 14 men and women will be diagnosed with lung cancer at some point in their lives. Lung cancer is a disease of the elderly; almost 70 percent of people diagnosed are over 65 years of age. While the incidence of lung cancer is beginning to fall in the developed world due to public education about smoking, lung cancer remains among the most common types of cancers. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, but this disease may also be caused by frequent contact with asbestos fibers or radon gas. There are three types of lung cancer: 1) Non-small cancer cell lung cancer – the most common type, it is comprised of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. 2) Small-cell lung cancer – this occurs in about 10 percent to 15 percent of lung cancers, and tends to spread rapidly. 3) Lung carcinoid tumor – this accounts for fewer than 5 percent of lung cancers and grows slowly and rarely spreads. Initially, there may be no symptoms of the disease. Once present, symptoms include coughing, coughing up blood, breathing difficulties such as shortness of breath and wheezing, loss of appetite, fatigue and recurring infections. In the advanced stages, the cancer often spreads to other parts of the body, such as the bones, liver and brain. New symptoms at that time may include bone pain, swelling of the face, arms and neck, dizziness and headache or weak limbs, jaundice and lumps in the neck or collarbone region. A common term among lung cancer treatment teams is “staging of the lung cancer.” Web MD says the stage of a tumor refers to the extent to which lung cancer has spread in the body. Staging involves considering a tumor’s size and its metastases in lymph nodes or to other organs. Staging directs, in part, how a particular tumor is treated. Staging is also involved in estimating the prog- Diabetes? & During OCT: Be my guest to a Complementary Consultation “We offer proven, individualized care to r