Lung cancer, like all other types of cancers, results from abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth of the lung tissues. Usually starting in the bronchi tissues, lung cancer can spread to the other parts of the body, such as the other lung, the heart, the diaphragm, the spine, etc. Ultimately, lung cancer leads to suffering primarily due to respiratory complications, and death.
Lung cancer begins when the DNA of the cell tissues of the bronchi lining mutate. The mutation can be caused by two factors: carcinogens and inherited tendencies, with the former as the most common. People with relatives who had or have the disease have a higher risk of getting sick.
There are three types of carcinogens that can cause lung disease: chemicals, radiation, and viruses. Scientists have identified tobacco, tar, soot, and asbestos as the leading chemicals that can trigger the disease.
Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. Tobacco contains hundreds of carcinogens, such as nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, and hundreds more, which can can make contact with the bronchi lining by simply breathing. Constant exposure of the bronchi lining to carcinogens can initiate the mutation of the DNA. Lung cancer caused by smoking is the single-greatest cause of death in most industrialized nations. However, a non-smoker can still have lung cancer because of passive smoking. Passive smoking is when non-smokers inhale the exhaled smoke from smokers. The exhaled smoke is “dirtier” because it already contains more carbon dioxide, which has been produced by the smoker's lungs.
High doses of radiation can cause cancer. Lung cancer can be triggered when radioactive particles or radioactive gas are breathed into the lungs, exposing the bronchi lining with doses of radiation and causing its DNA and cells to mutate. During the clean-up operations of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, hundreds of firefighters developed different types of cancers, particularly lung cancer, after breathing in smoke coming out of the destroyed core. Radon is radioactive gas that can also cause lung cancer.
Some scientists and doctors claimed that there are certain types of viruses that can cause lung cancer. One suspected virus is the HPV, or human papillomavirus.
Your Popup Blocker Must Be Off