An Overview of Lung Cancer

Bindy Sombatsaphay

BIOL 1010

Professor Dan Carpenter

2 April 2018
 Cancer in humans may arise in almost any of the trillions of cells that make us up. This
occurs due to mutations during cell division or DNA that has been damaged by exposures from
the environment. Some of these environmental exposures include tobacco smoke, ultraviolet
rays, and radiation. The different types of cancer are generally labeled by where it was first
formed. The most common forms of cancer in the United States are lung and breast. Treatment
of cancers include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery to remove tumors.
Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer that affects over 500,000 people in the
United States with over 200,000 estimated new cases every year. It is the leading cause of death
from cancer with an estimated 150,000 people dying from it in 2018. Men are more commonly
diagnosed than females. There are two types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and
non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In SCLC, there are two different types: Small Cell
Carcinoma and Combined Small Cell Carcinoma. NSCLC has three different types:
Adenocarcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Large Cell Carcinoma. Non-small cell lung
cancer makes up 80-85% of lung cancers whereas the rest are small cell lung cancer. SCLC is
different from NSCLC in that they begin in the nerve cells or the hormone-producing cells.
NSCLC tumors can begin anywhere in the lung. They are treated according to what stage the
cancer is in. The stages in SCLC are called the Limited stage and the Extensive stage. The
Limited stage is when the cancer is only in one part of the lung and the Extensive stage is when
the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. In NSCLC, there are five stages: 0, I, II, III, IV.
Stages 0-III indicate how large the tumor has grown but has not spread and stage IV is when the
cancer has spread to another part of the body. In the early stages where the cancer has not spread
and is in one central area, surgery may be used to remove the tumor. When the cancer has spread
to more than one area, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy is used. Surgery is usually not
possible for the later stages because the cancer may have spread to vital structures like the heart.
Smoking tobacco is the number one cause of lung cancer due to the many harmful
chemicals in tobacco and the addictive nature of nicotine. 90% of lung cancer cases in the United
States are caused by smoking. There are over 7,000 different chemicals in tobacco with 250 of
them being harmful. At least 69 of the 250 harmful chemicals can cause cancer. Some of those
cancer-causing chemicals include formaldehyde, benzene, and ethylene oxide. Nicotine is
another naturally occurring chemical that causes the user to become addicted to tobacco. When
smoking, the nicotine travels quickly through the blood stream to the brain and increases the
levels of dopamine for a short period of time. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that
controls the reward or pleasurable feelings someone gets when doing something. This feeling
doesn’t last long which causes the user to continue smoking to maintain those increased
dopamine levels. Second-hand smoking, or passive smoking, is when a non-smoker lives or is in
an area with smokers and breathes the smoke from the cigarettes. Due to this exposure, they have
an increased risk of developing lung cancer compared to non-smokers that are not around
smokers.
Some of the less common causes of lung cancer are radon gas, asbestos, air pollution, and
family history. Radon gas forms when uranium in rocks and soils begin to break down. It can
find its way into homes and businesses and is completely odorless and colorless which makes it
impossible to detect without specific equipment. Another cancer causer in homes and businesses
is asbestos. Asbestos is a very small, fibrous material that was used for insulation in older
buildings. The fibers are so small that they can be airborne and easily inhaled.
Lung cancer affects more people than any other cancer in the United States, however it
can be greatly avoided by being educated on the harmful effects of tobacco and by not using it at
all.
Works Cited:
Cancer Stat Facts: Lung and Bronchus Cancer. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2018, from
https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/lungb.html
What Is Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer? (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2018, from
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/non-small-cell-lung-cancer/about/what-is-non-small-cell
lung-cancer.html
What Is Small Cell Lung Cancer? (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2018, from
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/small-cell-lung-cancer/about/what-is-small-cell-lung
cancer.html
Lung Cancer - Small Cell: Stages. (2016, December 29). Retrieved May 2, 2018, from
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer-small-cell/stages
Lung Cancer - Non-Small Cell: Stages. (2018, April 11). Retrieved May 2, 2018, from
https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer-non-small-cell/stages
Stoppler, M. C., MD. (n.d.). 5 Causes of Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers. Retrieved May 2, 2018,
from https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=53012