I chose the topic of lung cancer to educate those about the final stages of lung cancer.
Lung cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer. Men, women, and sometimes children can be affected from lung cancer. There are no definitive cures for lung cancer but there are treatments to control it and stop it from spreading. With the medical and technological advancements that have been made in the past decade, doctors can increase the length of one’s life who has been diagnosed with cancer. There are four stages of lung cancer, I will be focusing on the final two stages.
THE FINAL STAGES OF LUNG CANCER
There are many causes of lung cancer, one of the most common being cigarette smoking. Lung cancer can …show more content…
The combination of asbestos exposure and smoking greatly increases the risk of developing lung cancer (American Lung Association). Other causes of lung cancer include exposure to cancer-causing agents in the workplace or personal or family history of lung cancer (Nan). Whether the causes of cancer, there are a few different forms and stages of the disease. A few of the most common forms of lung cancer in men is Squamous Cell Carcinoma, which is a cell formation on the lining of the bronchial tubes and the most common form of lung cancer for women is
Adenocarcinoma which forms in the mucus-producing glands of the lungs (Medical
News Today). Of the 4 stages of lung cancer, Stage 3 and 4 are the most crucial and most life threatening. Survival rates do not reflect differences in individuals. In addition, keep in mind that not everyone with a particular stage of lung cancer has the same prognosis. Staging lung cancer can help guide treatment, but there is a wide spectrum of cancers within each stage. People with stage 3 lung cancer will survive 23% out of 100% but this varies widely among different cancers that are classified as stage A3 or B3. As goes for stage …show more content…
In most cases, the tumor is considered inoperable. For those who are relatively healthy, a combination of chemotherapy or chemotherapy and radiation therapy is often recommended. If individuals are unable to tolerate chemotherapy, radiation therapy can be used alone to treat symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath.(About.com Lung Cancer). Keep in mind the body’s reaction to chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted treatments depends on a number of factors such as length of treatment, dosage prescribed, and a person’s health history. Most side effects are short term, but some can last throughout your treatment and even for some time afterward. Although side effects can be uncomfortable or painful, doctors now have many ways to reduce and even prevent
Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of lung cancer, and is also described as advanced disease. This is when the cancer has spread to both lungs, to fluid in the area around the lungs, or to another part of the body, such as the liver or other organs
(Lungcancer.org). With stage 4 lung cancer, surgery is typically not an option since