Posts Tagged ‘Lung Cancer’
LUNG CANCER SCREENING – DO CHEST X-RAYS HELP?
There is one indisputable fact about lung cancer -- the earlier the disease is detected, the better the chances of curing it. This is why lung cancer screening is of prime importance.Doctors point out that although the overall survival rate for lung cancer at the five-year mark is only 15%, the survival rate for those whose cancer was detected early and could be surgically treated is as high as 80%. For this reason, some doctors recommend periodic lung cancer screening with chest x-rays.Once this disease has progressed somewhat, it will spread rapidly to other areas of the lung and to critical organs all over the body. At that stage, surgery is no longer a viable treatment method.Unfortunately, the early stages of lung cancer do not give rise to any alarming symptoms. Common symptoms include a persistent cough, a tendency to get respiratory illnesses, etc. These symptoms are not linked to lung cancer alone. This is why lung cancer is rarely diagnosed till it is too late.In this context, regular screening for lung cancer -- at least for those who are most at risk of developing it, like smokers -- seems like a sensible choice. However, unlike in the case of ... [more..]
LUNG CANCER PATHOLOGY
As it concerns lung cancer pathology, the disease refers to a group of neoplastic developments coming up from the epithelium of the air passages or lung. Neoplasia is a term provided to the process by which tumors form in animals. These neoplastic enlargements may be explained crudely as benign or malignant relying on their probability to attack other structures and extend throughout the body. Malignant cancers are both more widespread in the lungs, and more clinically significant.Lung cancer was in the beginning described by some doctors in the mid-19th century. In the early 20th century it was deemed fairly uncommon, but by the end of the century it was the primary cause of cancer-related death amongst men in more than 25 developed countries. In the 21st century, cancer of lung appeared as the foremost cause of cancer deaths in the world, resulting in an estimated 1.3 million deaths every year. In women, the cancer is the second principal cause of death from cancer globally, after breast cancer.There are a number of types of cancers having an effect on the lungs, they each have different aetiology (although smoking is a returning factor in most), pathology, treatment regimes, characteristic histological features, and ... [more..]
OWNER’S GUIDE TO LUNG CANCER IN DOGS
Lung cancer in dogs is a very serious disease that often results in death. The cancer cells usually don't originate in the lungs. Instead, most cases occur because the cells travel to the lungs from other parts of the body. You may be wondering what symptoms are caused by this illness.SymptomsDog lung cancer normally causes no symptoms while the disease is in its early stages. Your dog will experience panting and heavy breathing as the disease progresses. Other symptoms start to appear when the cancer cells start spreading to other parts of the body. Two of the most common include loss of appetite and weight loss.TreatmentIf your veterinarian diagnoses your dog with lung cancer, he will send you to an oncologist for treatment. The oncologist specializes in the kind of treatment your dog needs.If the disease is still confined to one area, surgery will likely be the preferred method of treatment. However, if the cancer cells have already begun to spread to other areas, surgery is not a viable option. After the illness has spread, your dog's only two treatment options are chemotherapy and radiation.PrognosisLung cancer in dogs can be difficult to detect in its early stages because symptoms only ... [more..]