Lung cancer

What is Lung Cancer? It is known that 80% to 90% of the causes of lung cancer are caused by smoking. If you smoke, the incidence increases by about 13 times, and the longer the amount and duration, the greater the risk. Even if you have been smoking for a long time, if you quit smoking, the risk is much less, but it does not decrease as much as non-smokers. In addition, the incidence of lung cancer is higher for women than for men, and about 15% of patients are nonsmokers and the majority are women.

Introduction of lung

Gas exchange with the heart occurs in the alveoli as an important organ in respiration. The alveoli is made up of a resilient thin film and has no muscle and can not be stretched by itself. Lung cancer can originate from one lung and spread to the lymph nodes (one of the immune organs that treat the foreign body) and other tissues or both lungs, and in some cases to other parts of the body.

Causes of Lung Cancer

Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, and the incidence of secondhand smoke is 1.5 times higher. As a major cause, the risk increases significantly if you start smoking in teenagers. In addition, there are metal substances such as radon, asbestos, cadmium, nickel, air pollutants, radiation, HIV infection, and pulmonary fibrosis. Genetic factors are also involved. If someone has lung cancer in a relative, the incidence increases by 2 to 4 times.

Individuals' lifestyles are also related to eating a lot of animal fat, eating a vitamin A-deficient diet.

Genes of Lung Cancer rs8034191 SNP is present in LOC123688 and the function of the gene is unknown. This SNP is very similar to CHRNA5 and is one of chromosome 15 that encodes the nicotine cell receptor. The nicotine that acts through this receptor can be a stimulant to promote the spread of cancer cells, migration to other tissues, penetration, and the supply of blood to the tumor to produce lung cancer.

CHRNA5 also causes nicotine dependence. It is unclear whether rs8034191's risk group directly increases the risk of developing lung cancer or is due to smoking, and some people do not agree that the association of lung cancer with rs8034191 is only relevant to smokers.

Genetic Device: rs8034191

Symptoms of Lung Cancer

Symptoms of lung cancer are difficult to distinguish from cold due to cough, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, etc. Most people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer have already developed a considerable degree of disease, because many people are passing their symptoms lightly. If these symptoms occur frequently or you are a smoker over 40 years of age, you should have regular checkups every 6 months.

Depending on the area of ​​lung cancer, it can cause a lot of pain. If it happens in the esophagus, it can be difficult to swallow food and the vocal cords can cause hoarseness. If it occurs in the upper part of the lungs, it may cause pain in the shoulder and inside of the arm, and vomiting and epilepsy may occur when it is transferred to the brain.

If you have any of the aforementioned symptoms or if you have a suspected lung cancer, you can be diagnosed through blood tests, radiography, and computed tomography (CT).

Diagnosis of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer varies depending on the location of the cancer, and what occurs near the coarse bronchus is called central lung cancer, which can be divided into peripheral lung cancer that occurs in the distal part of the lung. Central lung cancer is difficult to detect by X-ray. If the diameter is less than 1cm, it may be more difficult to diagnose. For accurate diagnosis, besides X-ray examination, biopsy, bronchoscopy and chest examination are necessary.

· Chest X-ray: This is one of the most common radiological examinations that can check abnormalities such as lung, heart, and diaphragm. It is often performed in a medical checkup at a workplace. It is cheap and the diagnosis process is simple. However, it is often difficult to see if there is a lesion in the overlapping part of the institutions.

· It is a test to check the presence of cancer cells by examining the cells in the sputum.

· Percutaneous fine needle aspiration cytology (biopsy): If a person with a high risk of family history or smoking is found to have pulmonary nodules on chest X-ray examination, it is recommended to perform a biopsy. The skin can be anesthetized with a local anesthetic and the needle can be pierced and examined.

In addition, there are bronchoscopy to examine the inside of the bronchus, whole body bone scan to check whether the cancer has metastasized to the bone, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) to check for brain metastasis.

The incidence of lung cancer Smoking significantly increases the incidence of lung cancer and it is known that secondhand smoke is more dangerous for women than men for direct smoking. In addition, the incidence of adenocarcinomas, which are known to be directly related to smoking in women, is increasing dramatically. Experts view this cause as smoke inhaling during cooking and lack of early screening.

Treatment and prevention of lung cancer

Those who have been diagnosed with lung cancer are the first to quit smoking. Treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Lung cancer is divided into primary lung cancer, small cell cancer and non-small cell cancer. About 20% of lung cancers, small cell carcinoma, can grow within a few months if left untreated because of the rapid growth rate of cancer cells. Surgery is rarely treated, and response rate to chemotherapy and radiation therapy is noticeably high. However, in the case of chemotherapy, the recurrence rate is high and it is possible to increase the efficacy in parallel with radiation therapy, but the side effect is also significant. Also, if the patient can not withstand surgery, they will receive radiation therapy.

The remaining 80% of non-small cell carcinomas are effective. There are three types of non-small cell carcinoma: squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma.

Patients who receive these treatments will have great mental stress and psychological pressure as well as body. Therefore, it is important not only the patient himself but also the family to help, and to keep smoking and regular lifestyle.

Smoking is one of the greatest risk factors, so smoking cessation is most important in preventing lung cancer. It is a good idea to keep your lungs healthy with regular exercise, as women are more likely to smoke when they are cooking and cause problems with the lungs.

Good foods and nutrients for lung cancer

Fresh fruits can help boost lung health and antioxidants in blueberries are known to prevent aging of lung cells. The killer decodes tobacco poison, and bellflower, yulmu, hemp, garlic, and ginger are foods that help prevent lung cancer.

Nutrients known to help lung cancer may increase the risk of developing lung cancer.

Lung cancer related research group, patient group

Korean Society of Lung Cancer

International Lung Cancer Federation