Lung cancer takes many years to develop. The characteristics of lung cancer the same as any type of cancer but it effects the lungs. Lung cancer is caused by expose to carcinogens or cancer causing materials. After the carcinogens get into you lungs through breathing, the lining of your lungs will develop microscopic usual cells. If the exposure of the carcinogens to the cells increases, the cells will become more cancerous and will start to spread. Each infected cell will not do what it is suppose to do. This can limit the amount of air coming and going into your lungs, preventing the amount of oxygen that gets to your blood.

Smoking is leading cause of lung cancer. Smoking causes more than 80% of lung

There is no cure for lung cancer, but current research is making the possibly for a cure in the future. One type of promising research is called Photodynamic Therapy. PDT is a new investigation underway. PDT treats many different types of cancer including lung cancer. During this procedure of PDT, a bronchoscope is inserted through the patient's mouth and is directed into a bronchus. An optical fiber is threaded through the bronchoscope. When the laser is turned on, light shines from the end of the optical fiber on the tumor. Red light is used for PDT because it penetrates more deeply into tissue than other colors or wavelengths. This light causes the tumor to break down. One of the main advantages of PDT in lung cancer is that it works quickly within days and PDT can work in places where surgery would not be easy. Another advantage of PDT is it can be repeated a number of times, unlike radiation and chemotherapy. This allows physicians to repeatedly treat tumors and control their growth. There is also no damage to organs or healthy tissues, as occurs with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Research is being done to find ways to increase the depth of penetration with new photosensitizing drugs and different wavelengths of light.

One other treatment for lung cancer is radiation. Doctors can use radiation before surgery to shrink a tumor. After surgery, radiation therapy may be used to stop the growth of any cancer cells that remain. Radiation is a special kind of energy carried by waves or a stream of particles. Radiation uses high-energy rays or particles to treat cancer when used in high doses. The high doses of radiation can kill cells or keep them from growing and dividing. Radiation therapy is also used to shrink tumors and reduce pressure, bleeding, pain, or other symptoms of cancer. Radiation therapy can be external or internal. In external therapy, a machine directs the high-energy rays or particles at the cancer and the normal tissue surrounding it. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance. This substance is sealed in small containers called implants. The implant is placed directly into a tumor or inserted into a body cavity.

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