What is Lung Cancer? What Causes Lung Cancer?

Lung cancer is a malignant disease that occurs in the lung tissue.

The facts about lung cancer

• The main causes of death in cancer cases is LUNG CANCER. Lung cancer contribute to 32% of deaths in men and 25% in women with cancer.

In order to understand more about lung cancer, it is important for you to understand how the structure of the human lung and how it works.

Lungs is a pair of sponge shaped organ which located in the chest. Right lung has 3 lobes while left lung has 2 lobes, as shown in the picture below.

Left lung is smaller than right lung because the heart takes up more space on the side of this body. The lungs bring air in and out of the body. They are taking in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide (respiratory residual substances).

Lining around the lungs called the Pleura, helps protect the lungs and allows them to move during breathing. Windpipe (trachea) brings air into the lungs. The trachea was divided into tubes called Bronchi, which then divided again into smaller branches calledBronchioles. At the end of these small branches are tiny air sacs called Alveoli.

Lung cancer can spread to the pleura. The cancer cells interrupt the pleura and then they make too much fluid that take up the space of the lung. This is called pleural effusion. As a results, you can’t breathe in so well and may feel breathless.

Lung Cancer Causes

In most case, lung cancer is caused by cigarette smoking. Even though some people who have never smoked still get lung cancer, but statistics proved that about 90% of lung cancer patients were active smokers or former smokers.

These because tobacco contain over 4,000 chemicals, which 50 of them are known ascarcinogens (which means cancer causing agents) that cause the actual damage to the cells in the lungs. A cell that is damaged may become cancerous in some period of time.

The risk of developing lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked especially if the person starts to smoke at a young age. The risk of developing lung cancer may be reduced slightly if you smoke filtered cigarettes, but it still far better for those who are QUIT SMOKING. Lung cancer has always been more common in men, especially those over the age of 40, as more men used to smoke than women.

Other Causes and Risk Factors for Lung Cancer

1. Exposure to Radon gas
The second most risk factor for lung cancer is exposure to radon gas. Radon is a radioactive gas which occurs naturally in soil in certain areas, that may cause lung cancer if it seeps into your home.

2. Lung cancer screening
Screening means testing people for early stages of the disease before they have symptoms. Before screening for any type of cancer. Tests must be reliable in dealing a cancer that was there. And not have to give a false positives result in people who do not have cancer.

Lung cancer is often picked up on chest X-rays. But when it is diagnosed in this way, often quite advanced. Researches are trying to find another screening test that can help to diagnose lung cancer earlier. They are looking at a scan called CT Scan for people who have a higher risk of lung cancer.

3. Air pollution
A study showed that people who live in areas with high levels of nitrogen oxides (generally from cars and other vehicles) have an increased risk of lung cancer by 30%.

10 Risky Jobs for Your Lungs

These jobs may have lung risks for some workers.

 

Your lungs work hard -- most adults take more than 20,000 breaths a day. But just how well your lungs do their job may be affected by the job you do.

Chemicals. Germs. Tobacco smoke and dirt. Fibers, dust, and even things you might not think are dangerous can damage your airway and threaten your lungs.

1. Bartending and Waitressing.

Secondhand smoke has been linked to lung cancer. It remains a threat to workers in cities where smoking hasn't been banned in public places. Casino workers also can find themselves in a cloud of smoke.

No one's going to wear a respirator while serving martinis or dealing a blackjack game. Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings won't keep nonsmokers from being exposed.

Short of working to change policy, the best solution may be to find another job. "Unfortunately, the individual worker has limited options," says Susanna Von Essen, MD, a University of Nebraska Medical Center professor of internal medicine in the division of pulmonary, critical care, sleep, and allergy.

2. Housekeeping and Cleaning.

Some cleaning supplies, even so-called "green" or "natural" products, have harmful chemicals that have been associated with developing asthma.

"Cleaners are reactive chemicals, meaning that they react with dirt and also with your lung tissues, so this is in some ways not surprising," Von Essen says.

Some release volatile organic compounds, which can contribute to chronic respiratory problems and allergic reactions. Read labels and follow instructions.

Consider using "simple cleaning agents like vinegar and water or baking soda," Von Essen says. And open windows and doors to keep the area well ventilated.

3. Health Care.

Doctors, nurses, and other people who work in hospitals, medical offices, or nursing homes are at increased risk for lung diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

So health care workers should keep up with immunizations, including the flu vaccine, that the CDC recommends for health care workers.

Health care workers also develop asthma if latex is used in gloves or other supplies. Latex-free synthetic gloves are an alternative.

4. Hair Styling.

Certain hair-coloring agents can produce occupational asthma. Some salon hair-straightening products contain formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen. It's also a strong eye, nose, throat, and lung irritant.

Good ventilation is important. Because wearing a respirator might cause appointments to cancel, know what's in the products you're working with. If they're not safe, find a safer product.

5. Manufacturing.

Some factory workers risk getting asthma or making their existing asthma worse. Work exacerbated asthma -- asthma not caused by work but made worse by work -- affects as many as 25% of adult asthmatics, Harber says.

Factory workers can be exposed to everything from inhaled metals in foundries to silica or fine sand, which can lead to silicosis, a disease that scars the lung, or increased risk of lung cancer.

A lung disorder called "popcorn lung," or bronchiolitis obliterans, has been seen in plant workers exposed to some of the flavoring chemicals used to make microwave popcorn. Again, respirators and proper ventilation are key for those workers. (No risk of "popcorn lung" has been seen in people who eat that popcorn.)

6. Construction.

Workers who demolish old buildings or do remodeling can be exposed to asbestosused as insulation around pipes or in floor tiles.

Even minimal exposure to its microscopic fibers has been linked to a variety of problems. One is mesothelioma, a form of cancer, Von Essen says.

Exposure also seems to increase the risk of small cell lung cancer and can lead to asbestosis, or scarring of the lung. Removal should be left to trained and licensed crews.

"Know where the asbestos is," Von Essen says. "Follow all the rules and don't take chances."

7. Farming.

Working with crops and animals can lead to several disorders. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a rare but serious problem caused by repeated exposures to mold-contaminated grain or hay. The lung's air sacs become inflamed and may develop scar tissue.

Grain in metal bins can get moldy. Breathing dust from this grain can lead to fevers, chills, and a flu-like illness called "organic dust toxic syndrome." Farmers also are more likely to report a cough and chest tightness.

"We think about 30% of farmers who grow crops in this way have had that at some point," Von Essen says. Workers in hog and chicken barns sometimes get an asthma-like syndrome.

"Dust and ammonia levels together seem to be risk factors," Von Essen says. Keep grain from getting damp, ensure adequate ventilation, and wear a respirator.

8. Auto Body Spray Painting.

People who work in auto body shops are often exposed to chemicals known as isocyanates. They're a significant cause of occupational asthma.

"It's frequently a career-ending disease where they need to leave their profession," Harber says.

Using quality respirators that are appropriate for your task can lessen the risk. It also helps to enclose the area being sprayed and to have a ventilated exhaust system. Better yet, replace hazardous materials with safer ones.

9. Firefighting.

People battling blazes are exposed not only to the fire but also to other materials, including burning plastics and chemicals. Firefighters can significantly reduce their risk of lung disease and other problems by using a "self-contained breathing apparatus" (SCBAs). These devices should also be used during "mop up" or the clean-up period.

"Many of the chemicals are still in the air," Harber says. Ventilation also is critical.

10. Coal mining.

Underground miners are at risk for everything from bronchitis to pneumoconiosis, or "black lung." It's a chronic condition caused by inhaling coal dust that becomes embedded in the lungs, causing them to harden and make breathing very difficult.

"This can cause progressive massive fibrosis and can kill people," Von Essen says.

Again, protective equipment can limit the amount of dust inhaled.

The Beauty Of A Filipina - What Makes Her So Special

Filipina women are just like any other women in the world. They are humans who seek happiness and fulfillment of their dreams, they are resilient, they laugh and they cry, they win and they fail but after a failure, they can stand up and learn from it.

So what makes Filipina women irresistible? Filipina ladies are warm and caring. Their inner beauty, sunny disposition and charm adds to the physical attractiveness and gracefulness they possess. Filipina ladies are naturally romantic, loving, resourceful and have old-fashioned values. They are optimistic and have flexible personalities. They have the capability to adapt to any situation and accept things they can not change. They are also outgoing by nature and are pleasant company. Equipped with a generous share of great sense of humor, Filipina ladies are prone to see the lighter side of life in sticky situations.

Filipina females are raised in a special sense of honor called delikadesa (daintiness). You can never see a conservative Filipina engage in loud arguments and shouting match because they were taught to be polite and soft-spoken. There are exceptions though because modern-day Filipinas who are influenced by other cultures are losing this trait.

When Filipina ladies enter into a relationship, they look at it as a serious business and a life-long commitment. There is no "absolute divorce" in Philippines so if you are looking for a trial-and-error marriage, look for a bride somewhere else.

Once married, Filipina wives puts her husbands and family at the top of their priority list, and it is their goal to excel in home and family management. They believe in a one-man one-woman relationship and are lifetime partners, holding a high regard for the sanctity of marriage. Filipina ladies are excellent home keepers, and being a good wife and mother is a trophy for her.

Filipina women are willing to sacrifice their own happiness and careers for the sake of their families. They are very supportive to their husbands. The Philippines is under a patriarchal society where the husband is the head of the family but in cases when the husband is unable to fulfill his obligation, like in the case of illness, death or separation by distance, the Filipina wife stands by him and takes the responsibility as the breadwinner on her shoulders.

Filipinas are well educated. As young as three years old, the Filipino children start going to pre-school. Parents too sacrifice and forgo other needs just so their children can finish their studies. This in an edge the Filipinas have over others because they can easily fill in jobs.

Filipino girls are religious. As a predominantly Roman Catholic country, children are raised to be devoted to the church at an early age. A lot of people may think that the Philippines is a factory producing ideal women who will be loyal and take care of their husbands even until their retirement. This is not putting the Filipinas on top of a pedestal but when you take a Filipina for a bride, expect somebody to stay with you for life.

Mother Qoutes

My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.
George Washington 


My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors.
Maya Angelou 

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.
Abraham Lincoln 

The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children.
Jessica Lange 


He is a poor son whose sonship does not make him desire to serve all men's mothers.  ~Harry Emerson Fosdick


She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along.  ~Margaret Culkin Banning


An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.  ~Spanish Proverb

Thou art thy mother's glass, and she in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime.
~William Shakespeare


When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts.  A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.  ~Sophia Loren,Women and Beauty


If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?  ~Milton Berle

Motherhood is priced
Of God, at price no man may dare
To lessen or misunderstand.
~Helen Hunt Jackson


Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own.  ~Aristotle


Women are aristocrats, and it is always the mother who makes us feel that we belong to the better sort.  ~John Lancaster Spalding


Motherhood has a very humanizing effect.  Everything gets reduced to essentials.  ~Meryl Streep


The sweetest sounds to mortals given
Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven.
~William Goldsmith Brown

What are Raphael's Madonnas but the shadow of a mother's love, fixed in permanent outline forever?  ~Thomas Wentworth Higginson


The formative period for building character for eternity is in the nursery. The mother is queen of that realm and sways a scepter more potent than that of kings or priests. ~Author Unknown


Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.  ~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul


[A] mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled.  ~Emily Dickinson


A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.  ~Washington Irving


Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease.  ~Lisa Alther


Don't ever tell the mother of a newborn that her baby's smile is just gas.  ~Jill Woodhull


Now, as always, the most automated appliance in a household is the mother.  ~Beverly Jones


That best academy, a mother's knee.  ~James Russell Lowell


A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.  ~Victor Hugo


Grown don't mean nothing to a mother.  A child is a child.  They get bigger, older, but grown?  What's that suppose to mean?  In my heart it don't mean a thing.  ~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987

The only mothers it is safe to forget on Mother's Day are the good ones.  ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960


There is an instinct in a woman to love most her own child - and an instinct to make any child who needs her love, her own.  ~Robert Brault,www.robertbrault.com


Mommies are just big little girls.  ~Author Unknown


A mom's hug lasts long after she lets go.  ~Author Unknown


Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper


A mother's happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future but reflected also on the past in the guise of fond memories.  ~Honoré de Balzac


A mother's heart is a patchwork of love.  ~Author Unknown


A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands.  But a mother's love endures through all.  ~Washington Irving


A mom forgives us all our faults, not to mention one or two we don't even have.  

What is a Mother?

A mother is someone to shelter and guide us,
To love us, whatever we do,
With a warm understanding and infinite patience,
And wonderful gentleness, too.

How often a mother means swift reassurance
In soothing our small, childish fears,
How tenderly mothers watch over their children
And treasure them all through the years.

The hearth of a mother is full of forgiveness
For any mistake, big or small,
And generous always in helping her family
Whose needs she has placed above all.

A mother can utter a word of compassion
And make all our cares fall away,
She can brighten a home with the sound of her laughter
And make life delightful and gay.

A mother possesses incredible wisdom
And wonderful insight and skill-
In each human heart is that one special corner
Which only a mother can fill!