Lung Cancer is a Common Disease

Cancer is a disease that forms in the cells of the body. Cancer cells are abnormal cells that reproduce to make more abnormal cells. Abnormal cells do not die when the body does not need them any more as normal cells do. This disease often occurs in the lungs of individuals who smoke; however, individuals who do not smoke may also develop cancer of the lungs.

The lung is an important organ in the body. Lungs allow humans to breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Sometimes lungs develop diseases such as asthma, emphysema and cancer.

Symptoms of Lung Cancer

Cancer of the lungs often does not have symptoms until the disease has progressed. Symptoms of this disease include: trouble breathing, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, a cough that will not go away and a hoarse voice. A person who has symptoms of lung cancer should visit a doctor. Symptoms of lung cancer are also symptoms of other various diseases or illness; therefore, a person with symptoms should visit a doctor.

Causes of Cancer of the Lungs

Many things cause cancer to develop in the lungs. Smoking cigarettes is a very common cause of developing this disease in the lungs. Tobacco smoke causes harm to cells in the lung. Tobacco smoke often causes a person to develop cancer. Individuals who are around tobacco smoke but do not smoke are also at a risk for developing cancer.

Air pollution, radon, asbestos, arsenic and other chemicals also cause cancer of the lungs. Family history also plays a role in developing this disease. A person who has a family history of lung cancer and smokes cigarettes is at an even greater risk for developing this disease. The more risks a person has for developing cancer of the lungs the more likely the person is to develop the disease.