Cancer is uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. Growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs could be indicative of lung cancer. These abnormal cells have a tendency to grow but do not develop into healthy tissue of lungs. Research has shown that 87% of lung cancer is related to smoking. Risks are considerably reduced if the person quits smoking.

Extent to which cancer has spread is categorized as different stages. The stage depends upon the size of tumor and areas it has spread to. Doctors decide mode of treatment based on the stage of cancer.

Localized cancer in a particular part of lung is termed as Stage 1. If it has spread to the lymph nodes at the top of the lungs, it is termed as Stage 2. Cancer spreads to the chest walls during Stage 3. There is a possibility of cancer having spread to other parts of the body such as windpipe or heart, once it reaches Stage 3. Sometimes there can be fluid collection around the lungs that contain cancer cells.

Symptoms of lung cancer can vary from patient to patient. Common symptoms are continuous cough or formation of phlegm with signs of blood in it. More pronounced are symptoms such as a hoarse voice or difficulty in swallowing. Sometimes there is a swelling at the cancerous area.

Lung cancer can be treated in many ways such as surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Doctors determine treatment depending upon the stage cancer has reached. In initial stages, the patient can be treated by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Usually surgery is recommended to remove malignant tumor found in stage 3-lung cancer. If this does not suffice, the doctors remove the lung to abate growth of cancer cells. Some patients are given a combination of treatments. Chemotherapy is administered before surgery for effective treatment.

It is very important to detect cancer in its earlier stages for effective treatment. As the cancer spreads, treatment becomes more complicated.

e-lungcancer.com Lung Cancer provides detailed information on Asbestos Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer Stages, Lung Cancer Survival Rate and more. Lung Cancer is affiliated with i-asbestos.com Asbestos Exposure.

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Tags: chemotherapy, lung cancer

Complementary medicine integrates non-Western treatment methods into mainstream medical practice. Examples include light exercise, guided imagery, massage, yoga, reiki, tai chi, acupuncture, music therapy, and art therapy.

In the oncology area, these modalities can help to reduce side effects and thereby enhance a person’s physical and/or emotional tolerance to treatment. People thus feel better during what might otherwise be a very difficult period of cancer treatment.

Fatigue is a common symptom during cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can stem from the underlying illness, insomnia/sleep deprivation, anxiety, and/or the cancer treatment itself. Helping people manage and reduce fatigue is an important component in enhancing their overall well-being. After all, oncologists strive to treat the whole person and not just the disease.

The mechanism of fatigue in radiation therapy is not known. Often, it is not purely radiation treatment induced, but rather, is due to one or more of the factors outlined above.

In people with breast and prostate cancer, the National Cancer Institute undertook a randomized controlled study of cancer related fatigue in 38 individuals. 27 were women with breast cancer and 11 were men with prostate cancer. All received at least 30 radiation treatments, five days a week for six weeks.

Baseline tests to assess fatigue, strength, and cardiovascular heath were performed before the people received radiation therapy. The study compared a half the people in the group who followed an exercise program to the half who were randomized to receive radiation therapy without exercise therapy.

The program consisted of moderate, home-based use of resistance bands and walking. Of the participants in the trial, the average age was 60. Half the people received chemotherapy and 84% endured surgery. Participants were enthusiastic and 95% of them completed the prescribed exercise course

The exercise group was required to take walks daily and to try to increase the number of steps taken each day. They wore pedometers and kept a diary. In addition, they were assigned to complete 11 resistance band exercises daily, performing one set of eight to 15 repetitions daily and gradually increasing to three to four sets. Results revealed an 82% increase in the number of steps walked daily and the use of resistance bands an average of 3 1/2 days per week for 20 minutes at a moderate intensity level.

Those who exercised maintained their stamina during radiation therapy and improved their aerobic capacity. Also, they were able to walk faster and further in only four weeks and they experienced less cancer related fatigue than the control group. In fact, the control subjects demonstrated a decline in their baseline muscle strength.

The mechanism by which exercise alleviates fatigue is not clear. Although this study is small and more clinical trials will be helpful, the results suggest that when exercise is non-burdensome, safe and feasible, it serves as an inexpensive, valuable tool in improving the quality of life of cancer survivors.

For more information about radiation therapy, visit www.ASTRO.org , the website of The American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

Dr. Kornmehl is the medical director of Radiation Oncology at Passaic Beth Israel Regional Medical Center, Passaic, NJ and author of the critically acclaimed consumer health book, “The Best News About Radiation Therapy” (M. Evans, 2004). Her website is RTSupportDoc.com RTSupportDoc.com

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Tags: breast cancer, cancer treatment, chemotherapy, prostate cancer

If you want to get nervous about developing breast cancer, then just read some figures. The reality is that one woman out of nine will develop breast cancer some time in her life. So even if you manage to be one of the eight who doesn’t get it, chances are you will know someone, perhaps someone quite close to you, who will develop breast cancer. Breast cancer doesn’t care if you’re in your teens or a mature woman. All women need to know the symptoms so they can get treatment as early as possible if breast cancer develops.

The good news is that even though breast cancer occurs so frequently, if it’s treated in the early stages it’s highly curable for about six out of seven cases. So one of the most important things you can do is keep watching for symptoms, so that even if breast cancer occurs, you have a good chance of beating it. If you don’t discover breast cancer until an advanced stage, your chances of recovery are much lower - only about one in seven.

So what are the symptoms? They vary from woman to woman, and unfortunately many of them can occur for a multitude of reasons, but if you observe any of the following symptoms on an ongoing basis, do yourself a favor and get it checked out by your doctor. Many symptoms don’t involve any noticeable discomfort or pain; so don’t wait for that to happen before seeking advice. Symptoms include:

- Breast is warm to touch
- Itching in the breast region or armpit
- Ridges or thickened areas of the skin on the breast or nipple
- Pink, red or dark colored area that has a texture similar to orange skin
- Something that looks like a bruise that doesn’t fade
- Nipple starts becoming inverted
- Pain in the breast, anything from stabbing pains through to a constant ach
- The aureole changes in color and/or texture
- The breast shape or size changes
- Lump or swelling in the armpit
- Discharge from the nipple
- Dimpled skin on the breast

Research has shown that certain groups of women are more at risk of developing breast cancer. So if you belong to a high-risk category, it’s even more important that you regularly monitor your breasts, and either have your breasts checked for lumps by your doctor, or learn to do it yourself. Major risk factors include:

- Hormone replacement therapy
- Obesity
- High fat diet
- Taking the oral contraceptive pill
- Family history of breast cancer
- Alcohol use

Again, always remember that breast cancer is highly treatable if it’s caught early. It’s better to get something suspicious checked out by your doctor and be proven wrong, than let it go and find out later you could have reduced the chance of mastectomy or even death because of breast cancer. Most of the time any symptoms will prove to be unrelated to breast cancer, but don’t take that risk. Always get suspicious symptoms checked by your doctor, so you can get an accurate diagnosis.

If you want to learn more about breastcancerinfozone.com breast cancer symptoms, click over to Jo’s site at breastcancerinfozone.com breastcancerinfozone.com

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Tags: breast cancer, mastectomy

People facing cancer are naturally concerned about what the future holds. Strange then that the most common cause of one of the most lethal cancers of all, lung cancer, is generally of peoples own doing and pretty well avoidable.

Nine out of ten people who develop lung cancer are smokers and the bad news is that the diagnoses of lung cancer are rising. Whilst some rare types of lung cancer are not related to smoking, most certainly are directly attributable, and the figures for survival rates from lung cancer are poor throughout the world.

The two main types of lung cancer are small cell and nonsmall cell, and patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survive for variable lengths of time, even when adjustment is made for the pathological stage. Each and every year, 31000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in the UK, whilst lung and prostate cancer are the top cancer killers for men in the United States.

Want more scary news? Only 1 in every 10 people with lung cancer are alive 5 years after diagnosis, and for reasons not yet well understood, a greater proportion of women who develop lung cancer are non-smokers compared to men who get the disease.

Now, a new study finds tobacco may act as an environmental trigger for patients with an inherited genetic predisposition to pancreatic cancer.

Treatment for any cancer will depend on the type of cancer; the size, location, and stage of the disease; the person’s general health; and other factors. Nanotechnology promises new methods for noninvasive treatment of cancer with minimal side effects.

While we can’t do anything about risk factors that are out of our control, it’s been shown that all aspects of our daily lifestyle can have a huge impact on cancer risk. Stopping smoking greatly reduces a person’s risk for developing lung cancer, whilst exposure to tobacco smoke clearly multiplies the risk of developing lung cancer.

It’s a no brainer, really. Stop smoking and increase your chances of a long and enjoyable life!

Steve Cowan is an Asia based businessman and writer. Get two free reports dealing with Self Help and Natural Treatments Cancer at webbiz99.com/cancer/free_report.html webbiz99.com/cancer/free_report.html

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Tags: cancer risk, lung cancer, prostate cancer, treatment of cancer