History, Development and Epidemiological Distribution of Lung Cancer

First of all, what is cancer? Cancer in general is a carcinogenic disease caused by uncontrolled mitosis, due to series of mutations of normal cells into cancerous cells. Certain conditions can cause a normal cell to mutate into a cancerous cell. Cancer can normally be divided into two kinds: benign and malignant. Benign cancer does not spread to the rest of the body, whereas malignant cancer splits and spreads to other parts of the body, causing more overall damage. The process of cancer spreading throughout the body is called "Metastasis".

Lung cancer is the unregulated cell growth... in lungs.

Lung cancer is what happens when cancer cells are formed in the lungs. 

 

History of Lung Cancer

 

One hundred years ago, lung cancer was a rare disease known to mankind.

 

However, there was a sharp rise in the number of cases following the increased development of the tobacco industry at the time.

 

As the prosperity and development of the world reached sky-high, so did the level of pollution caused by heavy industry. No doubt, this contributed to the appearance of even more cases.



Direct relationship between cigarette consumption
and deaths caused by lung cancer.

In 1929, a German physician Fritz Lickint recognized the link between smoking and lung cancer. This led to a fierce anti-smoking campaign.

The link between radon gas and lung cancer was first recognized by miners at Ore Mountains, Schneeberg, Saxony in Germany. These mines were rich in uranium, and contained radium and radon gas. Several miners developed lung diseases, which was recognized as lung cancer in the 1870s. Radon gas was confirmed as a cause of lung cancer in the 1960s.



Why and how is lung cancer formed?

 

There are several factors that cause the development of lung cancer. The primary factor is smoking, or second-hand smoke. Other factors include genetic mutation, radon gas, asbestos, and air pollution.



Smoking: The inhaling of tar and nicotine might be able to calm the nerves, but looking on the far side, it’s able to cause lung cancers. Smokers not only put themselves, but also those besides them in grieve danger. (Excess alcohol, unhealthy food diet, lac of exercises also contribute to the formation of lung cancer)



Genetic mutation: Getting to close to radiation or other factors that may cause genetic mutation is one of the many and most effective ways to develop cancer. Mutation can sometimes causes diseases more critical compared to lung cancer. That’s why lung cancer is also a kind of hereditary disease, passed down the generations.



Radon gas: Radon is a radioactive gas given out from the normal decay of the elements in rocks and soil. It is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that seeps up through the ground and diffuses into the air. Radon gas usually exists at very low levels outdoors. However, in areas without adequate ventilation, such as underground mines, radon can accumulate to levels that increase the risk of lung cancer.

 

Asbestos: Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that can be found in the environment, work place and even home. It is able to release microscopic fibers that if inhaled will be trapped in the lungs and causes lung cancer.

 

Air pollution: The inhaling of other particles other than oxygen into the lungs may be unnecessary and sometimes also a causes the lung cancer. In this modern society, heavy industry is the heart of it, producing many air-polluting particles, affecting the life of humans.

The causes of lung cancer, clockwise from top left:
Smoker, genetic mutation, radon gas, asbestos,
and air pollution.

What makes lung cancer fatal? Cancer forming in the lungs itself is already critical. But what if lung cancer itself is just the beginning? The fact is that lung cancer is usually a malignant cancer - it is able to undergo metastasis. The cancer spreads to the neighboring tissues and affects their normal functions. The infected person will usually suffer intolerable pain, unless medication is prescribed for it. If early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer is not done, sooner or later, some other cancers will show up in different parts of the body. By that time, it will be too late for most treatments.

 

Epidemiological distribution of lung cancer:

More of the cases of lung cancer usually appear in developed countries, as they have more heavy industry. Countries that are currently developing, such as China and India, are
expected to have higher lung cancer rates in the next few years, as smoking increases.

Europe and North America posses the highest rates of lung cancer, in which Eastern Europe has the highest lung cancer mortality rate among men, whereas the highest lung cancer mortality rate among women is in Northern Europe and the US. Which kind of people are most likely to develop Lung Cancer? That would be those above 50 years old who have a history of smoking.

Cases of lung cancer based on gender:

Cases of lung cancer existed in more males that in females throughout the years. But owing to medicine and
self-consciousness, there has been a decrease in the number of cases since the 90s.
However, there has been a sign showing that the cases in females is gradually increasing as more become smokers.

In general, lung cancer is "breath-taking". And smoking kills! We can avoid getting lung cancer by avoiding taking up smoking, or even help the people around you to STOP smoking. Those who smoke might feel nothing big about it, but your loved ones do.

- Kang Enyi

References:

• Lung Cancer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung_cancer

• "From the National Cancer Institute" - Wikimedia Commons:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cancer_smoking_lung_cancer_correlation_from_NIH.png

• "Contributed by Joe Abell" - Tiffinomics, the Tiffin School Economics Society:

http://tiffinomics.com/lung-cancer-an-epidemiological-study-of-a-degenerative-condition/

• Lung Cancer Fact Sheet - American Lung Association:

http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html

• Smoking and Cancer - Dr. George Johnson's Backgrounders:

http://www.txtwriter.com/backgrounders/cancer/cancer5.html