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the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.A. Nick, Sheriah, Romico, Ja’Kaya, Damial Cancer Biology
the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.A.
Nick, Sheriah, Romico, Ja’Kaya, Damial
Cancer Biology
What is Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer - the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that start off in one or both lungs. The
abnormal cells divide rapidly and form tumors. As the tumors become larger and more numerous,
they undermine the lung’s ability to provide the bloodstream with oxygen.
Malignant tumors - the more dangerous ones, spread to other parts of the body either through the
bloodstream or the lymphatic system. Metastasis refers to cancer spreading beyond its site of origin to
other parts of the body. When cancer spreads it is much harder to treat successfully
Benign tumors - tumors that remain in one place and do not appear to spread are known.
Lung cancer can be classified into two main
types based on the cancer's appearance under
a microscope: Non-small cell Lung Cancer
and Small cell Lung Cancer.
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
accounts for 80% of lung cancers, and
spreads more slowly than small cell lung
cancer.
Small cell lung cancer accounts for the
remaining 20%.
NSCLC can be further divided into four
different types, each with different treatment
options......
TYPES OF LUNG CANCER
How lung Cancer develops. . .
CAUSES OF LUNG CANCER
SMOKING
90% of Lung Cancer patients
develop their disease because of
smoking. Lung cancer is one of the
most common causes of cancer
deaths in the world.
There are over 4,000 compounds in
cigarette smoke. The majority of
them are toxic, and damage our cells.
SMOKING CONTINUED
Tobacco smoke consists of:
Nicotine - this is not carcinogenic. However, it is highly addictive. Smokers find it
very hard to quit because they are hooked on the nicotine. Nicotine is an extremely
fast-acting drug. It reaches the brain within 15 seconds of being inhaled. If cigarettes
and other tobacco products had no nicotine, the number of people who smoke every
day would drop drastically. Without nicotine, the tobacco industry would collapse.
Carbon Monoxide - this is a poisonous gas. It has no smell or taste. The body finds
it hard to differentiate carbon monoxide from oxygen and absorbs it into the
bloodstream. Faulty boilers emit dangerous carbon monoxide, as do car exhausts.
Tar - consists of several cancer-causing chemicals. When a smoker inhales cigarette
smoke, 70% of the tar remains in the lungs. Try the handkerchief test. Fill the mouth
with smoke, don't inhale, and blow the smoke through the handkerchief. There will
be a sticky, brown stain on the cloth. Do this again, but this time inhale and the blow
the smoke through the cloth, there will only be a very faint light brown stain.
RADON GAS
• Silent & Deadly
• Radon is a tasteless, odorless, and colorless natural occurring radioactive
gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium found in most soils.
• The Gas typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into
your house through holes and cracks in the foundation. Your homes then
traps the gas inside where it builds up.
• Number 2 Killer
ASBESTOS
• Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that
occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers.
Asbestos has been mined and used commercially in North
America since the late 1800s.
• Building and construction industries have used it for
strengthening cement and plastics as well as for
insulation, roofing, fireproofing, and sound absorption.
• The shipbuilding industry has used Asbestos to insulate
boilers, steam pipes, and hot water pipes.
• The automotive industry uses Asbestos in vehicle brake
shoes and clutch pads. Asbestos has also been used in
ceiling and floor tiles; paints, coatings, and adhesives;
and plastics.
AIR POLLUTION
• CANCER IS IN THE AIR......
In 2013 The World Health Organization declared air pollution a human carcinogen
like tobacco smoke, asbestos and arsenic.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies outdoor air
pollution as a carcinogen, as well as many components of outdoor air pollution,
including diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metals, and dust.
According to the IARC, the predominant artificial sources of outdoor air pollution are
transportation, stationary power generation, industrial and agricultural emissions, and
residential heating and cooking.
GENETICS
• Overall, it has been estimated that 1.7% of lung cancers up to the age of 68 are
hereditary. Several factors are associated with hereditary lung cancer, including:
• Race, Lung Cancer and Heredity
• Blacks with first-degree relatives have a greater risk of early onset lung cancer than whites. This risk increases in
smokers.
• Smoking Status, Lung Cancer and Heredity
• Smokers who develop lung cancer are less likely to have a family history than nonsmokers that develop lung
cancer. That said, however, for those who have a genetic predisposition to lung cancer, smoking appears to
amplify that risk
• How Closely a Family Member is Related
• Having a first-degree family member (parent, sibling or child) with lung cancer roughly doubles the risk of
developing lung cancer. This risk is more for women and less for men and stronger in nonsmokers than smokers.
Having a second-degree relative (an aunt, uncle, niece or nephew) with lung cancer raises your risk by around
30% .
STATISTICS
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 7.6 million deaths globally
each year are caused by cancer; cancer represents 13% of all global deaths. As seen
below, lung cancer is by far the number one cancer killer.
• Total deaths worldwide caused by cancer each year:
■ Lung cancer - 1,370,000 deaths
■ Stomach cancer - 736,000 deaths
■ Liver cancer - 695,000 deaths
■ Colorectal cancer - 608,000 deaths
■ Breast cancer - 458,000 deaths
■ Cervical cancer - 275,000 deaths
• The American Cancer Society says that lung cancer makes up 14% of all newly diagnosed cancers in the USA
today. It adds that annually, more patients die from lung cancer alone than prostate, breast and colon cancers
combined (in the USA). An American man’s lifetime risk of developing lung cancer is 1 in 13; for a woman the risk
is 1 in 16. These risk figures are for all US adults, including smokers, ex-smokers and non-smokers.
• Most lung cancer patients are over the age of 60 years when they are diagnosed. Lung cancer takes several years to
reach a level where symptoms are felt and the sufferer decides to seek medical help.
STATISTICS CONTINUED
• Prevalence of this cancer- In 2011, there were an estimated 402,326 people living with lung and bronchus cancer in the
United States.
SYMPTOMS
• Cancer symptoms are quite varied and depend on where the cancer is located, where it has spread, and
how big the tumor is. Lung cancer symptoms may take years before appearing, usually after the disease is in
an advanced stage.
• Many symptoms of lung cancer affect the chest and air passages:
■ Persistent or intense coughing
■ Pain in the chest shoulder, or back from coughing
■ Changes in color of the mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways (sputum)
■ Difficulty breathing and swallowing
■ Hoarseness of the voice
■ Harsh sounds while breathing
■ Chronic bronchitis or pneumonia
■ Coughing up blood, or blood in the sputum
DIAGNOSIS
• In order to diagnose lung cancer, your doctor may recommend:
• Imaging tests - An X-ray image of your lungs may reveal an abnormal mass or nodule. A CT scan
can reveal small lesions in your lungs that might not be detected on an X-ray.
• A PET/CT scan reveals information about both the structure and function of cells and tissues in the body during a
single imaging session.
• A CT scan creates a 3D picture of the lungs, but it can miss small tumors if part of the lung has collapsed, as is
sometimes the case. A PET scan goes beyond anatomy to show what is happening at a cellular level in the tissues of the
lung.
• Sputum cytology - If you have a cough and are producing sputum, looking at the sputum under the
microscope can sometimes reveal the presence of lung cancer cells.
• Tissue sample (biopsy) - A sample of abnormal cells may be removed in a procedure called a biopsy.
TREATMENT• Surgery - is the oldest known treatment for cancer. If a cancer is in stage I or II and has not
metastasized, it is possible to completely cure a patient by surgically removing the tumor and
the nearby lymph nodes. After the disease spreads, it is nearly impossible to remove all of the
cancer cells
• Radiation - destroys or shrinks lung cancer tumors by focusing high-energy rays on the cancer
cells. This causes damage to the molecules that make up the cancer cells and leads apoptosis.
Radiation utilizes high-energy gamma-rays that are emitted from metals such as radium or
high-energy x-rays that are created in a special machine. Radiation can be used as the main
treatment for lung cancer, to kill remaining cells after surgery, or to kill cancer cells that have
metastasized.
• Chemotherapy- utilizes strong chemicals that interfere with the cell division process -
damaging proteins or DNA – inducing apoptosis . These treatments target any rapidly dividing
cells . Chemotherapy medicines travel throughout the entire body, killing the original tumor
cells as well as cancer cells that have spread throughout the body.
TREATMENT CONTINUED
• SURGERY
• The types of lung surgery are:
• -Wedge resection The surgeon removes a small wedge-shaped piece of lung that contains
the lung cancer and a margin of healthy tissue around the cancer. This is likely to be done
when your lung function would be decreased too much by removing a lobe of lung
(lobectomy). The risk of lung caner coming back (recurring) is higher with this method.
• -Lobectomy. The right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two lobes. A lobectomy
removes the entire lobe of your lung that contains the cancer. Your lungs can function with
the lobes that remain.
• -Pneumonectomy. A pneumonectomy removes your entire lung that contains the lung
cancer. A pneumonectomy is done only when needed, because it will greatly reduce your
overall lung function.
• -Sleeve resection. The surgeon removes the cancerous part of the bronchus and
reconnects the healthy ends. The bronchus is the part of the trachea (windpipe) that
branches off into each side of the lungs.
STAGES
STAGE 0
■ Because stage 0 Non Small cell Lung Cancer is limited to the lining layer of airways and has not invaded deeper into
the lung tissue or other areas, it is usually curable by surgery alone. NO chemotherapy or radiation therapy is needed
STAGE 1
■ The tumor may be removed either by taking out one lung lobe (lobectomy) or by taking out a smaller piece of a lung.
STAGE 2
■ Usually people who have a who have NSCLC at stage 2 are healthy enough for surgery, and will have either a Lobectomy of
sleeve resection done to remove the cancer. Sometime the whole lung is removed, as well as any lymph nodes likely to have cancer
in them.
■ In some cases chemotherapy with radiation may be recommended before surgery to shrink the tumor to make the operation easier.
STAGE 3A
■ Treatment may include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery or any combination of these.
■ Treatment options will depend on the size of the tumor, location, and which lymph nodes it has spread to, as well as
your overall health.
STAGES CONTINUED
• STAGE 3B
■ At this stage of NSCLC the cancer has spread to lymph nodes that are near the other lung or in the neck, and may also have grown
into important parts of the chest.
■ Along with the other stages, the treatment options depend on the patients overall health and how well they are
expected to tolerate the treatments.
■ Treatment options for this stage are usually a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.
• STAGE 4
■ Stage 4 NSCLC is widespread when it is diagnosed, because the cancer as spread to distant sites it is very hard to
cure.
■ Treatment options depend on how many tumors there are and the patients overall health.
■ If the patient is in overall good health then surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of these will be used to
help the patient live longer and relieve symptoms.
SURVIVAL
DIET
Reducing cancer risk....
Apart from obesity and alcohol, there isn't much specific evidence at the moment that
diet can reduce cancer risk. But a healthy diet may help and it will also lower your risk
of other diseases, such as heart disease. To eat healthily1 Eat less red meat and animal fats (butter, cream, cheese)
2 Eat at least 5 portions of raw or lightly cooked fruit and vegetables every day (see below for examples)
3 Eat more fiber
4 Eat more oily fish (salmon, trout, mackerel)
5 Eat less salt and salty foods
6 Eat less sugar and sugary foods
7 Eat more whole grain cereals and bread, brown rice and pulses
8 Don't fried foods and if you use fats in cooking, choose vegetable oils or olive oil not lard or butter
9 Drink less alcohol
• Examples of a portion of fruit or vegetables include an apple, pear, orange or banana,
about 5cm of cucumber, a medium tomato, a handful of grapes or strawberries, 3
tablespoons of vegetables, or a heaped tablespoon of dried fruit.
• Cancer fighting foods
WORK CITED
•
• "Lung Cancer." Causes. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/lung-cancer/basics/causes/con-20025531>.
• "Lung Cancer Fact Sheet - American Lung Association." American Lung Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. <http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html>.
• "Lung Cancer: Treatment Options." Cancer.Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer/treatment-options>.
• "What Are the Risk Factors?" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 02 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/basic_info/risk_factors.htm>.
