Beating the odds
...atlak 24-8). There are many symptoms that indicate this dangerous disease. Doctors and patients should have a little bit knowledge about some important symptoms of lung cancer. Earlier symptoms of lung cancer are coughing and wheezing. In the beginning stage, people may feel headaches, blurred vision, and difficulty in walking or bone pain (Patlak 24-8). Other symptoms of lung cancer include coughing up blood, chest pain, abnormally dark or light skin, speech impairment, breast development in males, chills, nail abnormalities, loss of appetite, and shortness of breath (“Lung 89). Patients can experience repeated bouts of pneumonia or bronchitis, fever, weakness, weight loss, and swelling of the neck or face. Sometimes hormones made by lung cancer cells can cause those symptoms. Sometimes certain lung cancer cells produce hormones; these hormones can cause a sharp drop in the level of salt in the body. This can produce many symptoms including concentrated urine, confusion, fatigue, or coma (Patlak 24-8). Many things, such as smoking, radon, and many other factors can cause these symptoms. As we all know, lung cancer is a deadly killing disease among the people, so people should at least be a ware of causes of this human killing disease. Studies shoe that smoking is the most important risk factor of lung cancer (Yang 180-5). Other researchers say, the risk of lung cancer attributable to smoking was 88% (“Study” 90). Cigarette smoking is the strongest causal risk factor for female lung cancer. In 1991, smoking causes approximately 80% of female lung cancer cases in the United States of America (Yang 180-5). According to the National Research Council, daily exposure to second-hand cigarette smoking can boost one’s chance of developing lung cancer as much as 30% (Patlak 24-8). Based on this information, the government should have done something to stop smoking because smoking causes 88% lung cancer cases. Perhaps the government should pass a law that nobody can smoke in this country and declare American as a nonsmoking country. Other causes of lung cancer include air pollution, asbestos, nickel, chromium, coal gas, coal products, mustard gas, arsenic, beryllium, petroleum, ionizing radiation, iron oxide, and radon by product of aluminum mining (Yang 180-5). According to the National Research Council (NRC), Indoor radon contributes to about 12% of lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. Indoor radon contributes to 15,400 or 21,800 of the estimate 157,400 lung cancer deaths each year in this country (“Dangers” 1998). Perhaps one should have his/her home tested for radon. Doctors diagnose lung cancer in many ways. The first way to diagnose lung cancer is a chest x-ray test. Sometimes doctors diagnose lung cancer by tomogram or a computed tomography scan (CT-scan test). Tomogram images thin slices of the lung that can show a small caner not seen on standard x-ray. CT-scans produce an image of cross-sectional slice of lung tumor. CT-scans help to find out whether lung cancer has spread to other neighboring organs. Sometimes radionuclide scan is done to find out whether lung cancer has spread other areas of the body (Patlak 24-8). Depending on the tumor size, type, and location, doctors use many other additional tests to diagnose lung cancer, such as lung needle biopsy, pleural biopsy, open lung biopsy, bronchoscopy with washing and biopsy for cytology, and mediastinoscopy with biopsy (“Lung” 89). Depending on the result of the diagnostic test, doctors’ use a variety of different treatment plans to cure the patient of lung cancer. In today’s fast growing world, there are a couple of ways to treat this dangerous disease. Treatment plans for lung caner patients depend on the size, location, and type of lung cancer as well as patient’s general health (“Study” 90). Three main weapons doctors can use against lung caner are surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy with anti cancer drugs. In Patkal’s report about surgery of lung cancer he says: Surgery is the most effective way to treat the lung cancer. Aggressive surgery is successful in treating small growing lung cancer, but in one-half cases, lung cancer can not be treated by surgery by the time disease is detected. Surgery is not performed if cancer cells are found in nearby lymph nodes (Patlak 24-8). When lung cancer can not be treated by surgery, doctors use radiation to treat localized lesion. Usually, radiation is given five times a week for several weeks. Doctors also use chemotherapy and anti cancer drugs to treat patients of lung caner (“primary” 29-31). Doctors are trying to find a new treatment plans for lung cancer. People are hoping that doctors can come up with a new treatment plan for diagnosing and curing this dangerous disease. Additionally, Medical Technology ...