Small Cell Lung Cancer Essay

To begin with, it's pertinent to put cancers in the right perspective. By way of definition, a cancer is a malignant tumor or swelling composed of abnormal cells capable of undergoing uncontrolled proliferation. Many erroneously hold the view that every swelling or lump is cancer. However, this is not so. Unlike benign swellings, cancerous cells generally have the tendency to invade surrounding tissues and sometimes metastasize (break off and spread) to distant body tissues via the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Cancers result when there is a disruption to the normal process of cell division. Body cells are continuously undergoing cell division, albeit in a controlled manner to replace aging and dead cells. However, a fault or mutation sometimes
In fact, research has shown that about 33% of all annual cancer deaths in the United States result from smoking. Approximately 98% of patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) have a significant smoking history and fortunately, cessation of smoking has been correlated with improved survival in these patients.
Obesity
Compared with people of normal weight and Body Mass Index (BMI), obese individuals stand a greater risk of some cancer types including cancers of the pancreas, colon, kidneys, esophagus, breast and the endometrium among others. One explanation that has been proposed for this increased risk is that fat tissues produce excessive quantities of estrogen in obese people. High estrogen levels have been associated with increased risk of breast and endometrial cancers. Furthermore, obese individuals are more likely to have elevated blood levels of insulin and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) which favor the development of some cancers. Studies have shown that overweight and obese individuals stand 200-400% higher risk of endometrial cancer than their counterparts with a normal