What Is Lung Cancer And Who Can Get It?

Abnormal cell growth in either one or both of the lungs is the simple answer to the question, “What is lung cancer?” In healthy individuals, the cells within the lungs go about their business duplicating at a normal rate and turning into more and more lung tissues. The lungs continue to function properly and all is well.

But in damaged lungs, this rate of cell duplication becomes uncharacteristically fast yet new lung tissue fails to develop. These damaged (cancerous) cells begin to clump together and ultimately turn into cancerous tumors. Eventually, the tumors begin to interfere with the impacted lung’s ability to function normally and that is when the full impact of the disease known as lung cancer begins to be noticed.

Interestingly, although it usually takes many years for lung cancer to develop, the cells begin to take on abnormal characteristics almost immediately upon being exposed to cigarette smoke or the other environmental contaminants that can cause trouble in the lungs such as radon, asbestos, coal, air pollution, and even second-hand smoke.

Lung cancer can strike anyone regardless of gender, age or race. Even though it is more likely to strike those who are or who have been a smoker, lung cancer can develop in those who have never taken up this habit. Lung cancer in non-smokers is very rare, occurring in only about 10% of the cases, meaning that in almost 90% of the lung cancer cases, cigarette smoking is the instigator. Why is that so?

The primary purpose of the lungs is to breathe in air. The lungs remove the oxygen from this air and push it out into the blood where it can travel around the body as needed. Because the air we breathe is not always pure – it’s filled with dust, dirt, and other types of pollutants – the upper part of the lung system was designed to clean it before allowing it to enter deeper into the lungs. In the case of smokers, the carcinogens in cigarette smoke can break down the lung’s cleansing capabilities and as a result, dirty air and the contaminants within cigarette smoke continue to freely enter into the lungs. It is the absence of this cleansing capability that ultimately causes the cells inside the lungs to function abnormally.

Besides being the #1 cause of cancer death in the United States, lung cancer is unfortunately so far a disease that has no cure. In fact, by the time lung cancer is discovered, few people will survive the first year after diagnosis.

Small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer are the two types of lung cancer that can develop. Eighty percent of the lung cancer cases are the slower-moving non-small cell type. The problem with this type of lung cancer is that it often spreads to other parts of the body. Sophisticated lung scans are generally the way most tumors are detected, but unfortunately, such scans are not part of routine medical care. That’s probably why most lung cancer goes undiagnosed for so long.

About the Author:
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for LifeLungCancer.com. To learn more about lung cancer treatments and what is lung cancer, visit our site.

Read More

Diabetes Deadly for Weighty Women

When you receive the Seal you become conscious of how much you weigh and make an effort to lose extra weight. Now that is more crucial than ever since new studies link obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Four new studies show a link between obesity, diabetes, and cancer. And the link between diabetes and excess weight is already well known--extra weight puts you at greater risk to develop diabetes.

When you have diabetes, your need for insulin affects how likely you are to get cancer. But it is different for men and women. If you are a woman your risk of getting some kinds of cancer increases with insulin use.The information from these studies was released Friday December 7 2007 at the Annual International Conference on the Frontiers of Cancer Prevention Research which is held by the American Association for Cancer Research.

The results did not surprise scientists, who have thought along similar lines. Diabetics use a lot of insulin which along with other hormonal factors, increases cell production so more cells grow, including cancerous cells. The first study was done by the University of Minnesota, and those results showed that women with diabetes have a 50 percent greater chance of developing colorectal cancer.

The researchers tracked over 45,000 women who were taking part in breast cancer detection programs for over 8 years. Though they did not conclude exactly what is causing the increased risk, insulin use is likely the culprit. That was what the second study concluded. Diabetic women have a 300 percent greater chance of developing breast cancer, and their use of large amounts of insulin is probably the reason.

The second study, from Yale University, looked at C-peptide, a marker of insulin production, for 8 years. It found that the upper third of high C-peptide levels were 200 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than the lowest third measured.

The third study was not as much about diabetes as about the weight gain that so often causes it. This study was done at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It showed that when women are found to have invasive breast cancer they should not gain any weight, because if they do, they will be much more likely to die from the breast cancer.

Several thousand women in the study were classed according to the body mass index. Women in the obese class were 2.4 times more likely to die of breast cancer than women in the normal body mass class.

Fat tissue produces more estrogen, and estrogen grows cancer cells. So the women are at greater risk for cancer and dying of it whether they are diabetic or overweight, or both. And the results with the men? The men are fortunate compared to the women. Testosterone like estrogen grows more cancer cells. But insulin reduces the amount of testosterone in men, so their chances of prostate cancer when diabetic are significantly reduced.

When you are sealed, God shows you how to begin taking care of your body, and how to change your weight by eating less and eating healthier foods. And you will stay healthy because you change spiritually when you receive the Seal.
And now Jason invites you to get your FREE report Are You Making These Mistakes as a Christian?
And donate to get the ebook Seal of the Soul
Jason Witt

Read More