|
|
Higher Leverage Against Lung
Cancer
Hendrick Wilbur
The fight against cancer has
been progressively advancing
through the years. Combined
efforts from the government,
civil society, and health
advocacy groups have gained
dramatic results. Cancer
awareness is on the rise,
alternative less cancer-prone
lifestyles are arising, while
medical researches and
technological advancement have
tremendously leveled up the
fight against one of the
world's leading killer. The
classic chemotherapy has been
modernized and combined with
other treatments like
radiation, laser, and even
organic medicines.
In America alone, the National
Health Institute of the US
Department of Health and Human
Services through its
anti-cancer arm National Cancer
Institute reported that the
death rate due to cancer is
still on the decline. In it's
annual report to the nation,
the NCI claimed that the cancer
death rates are progressively
declining and progress in
cancer treatments are
continuously on the rise. In
men, study from 1993 to 2002
recorded a decline of 1.5
percent death rate from all
cases of cancer. This is higher
compared to women's 0.08
percent decline rate.
This report has put the US
Department of Health and Human
Services at a better position
in achieving the goals of its
Health People 2010 campaign.
The statistics revealed that
lung cancer is still
consistently leading the
nation's cancer death rates.
Although a decrease in
tobacco-related cancer cases is
being achieved, the challenge
to drastically reduce its death
toll is still as hard as it has
always been before. With more
and more people puffing
cigarettes, lung or bronco
cancer is still the leading
cause of cancer deaths among
men and women.
Dubbed as "the most common
cancer", lung cancer is now the
subject of numerous studies and
experimentations in many
countries with advance cancer
research programs and
facilities like the United
Kingdom and Australia. A wider
knowledge on lung cancer is now
available. A classification has
been made between Small Cell
Lung Cancer and Non-Small Cell
Lung Cancer. Small cell lung
cancer is the case where in
malignant cancer cells grow in
the tissues of the lungs. Three
types of Small Cell Lung Cancer
are known: small cell
carcinoma, large cell
carcinoma, and combined small
cell carcinoma. Smoking, second
hand smoking, and exposure to
asbestos and radon are the
known causes of Small Cell Lung
Cancer. Current treatments do
not successfully cure cases of
Small Cell Lung Cancer.
However, studies in Germany
revealed that surgery (removal
of cancer cells or tumor),
systematic post-surgery
chemotherapy, and sustained
local treatments (e.g.
*radiation therapy*) have a
higher probability of curing
this type of lung cancer.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, on
the other hand, is the most
common type of lung cancer. It
accounts for four of every five
deaths from lung cancer. There
are several known types of
Non-Small Lung Cancer, the
three most common are the
Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Large
Cell Carcinoma, and
Adenocarcinoma. The others are
pleomorphic, carcinoid tumor,
and salivary gland carcinoma.
Like the other lung cancer
type, Non-Small Cell Lung
Cancer is mostly caused by
smoking (first and second
hand), high exposure to air
pollution, and exposure to
chemicals like asbestos,
chromium, and arsenic.
In 2005, the New England
Journal of Medicine reported a
breakthrough in treatment for
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. It
reported that current studies
reveal that chemotherapy, after
the traditional Non-Small Cell
Lung Cancer treatment of
surgery, can increase the
survival rate among patients.
In a study, an overwhelming 15
percent increase of survival
rate was recorded among
patients who had chemotherapy
after surgery. Sixty-nine
percent of those who had
post-surgery chemotherapy's
were reported to be still alive
five years after the surgery
compared to the 54 percent who
did not.
Furthermore, a study in
Switzerland suggested an even
greater breakthrough for
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
treatment. The study proposed
that in addition to
chemotherapy, a combination of
the innovative cancer drugs
Tarceva and Avastin can lead to
higher survival rate for
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
patients. Tarceva is approved
in the US and across the
European Union for patients
with unsuccessful cancer
treatments through
chemotherapy. Also in US and
Europe, Avastin is a popular
effective medicine for
colorectal cancer, non-small
cell lung cancer, and breast
cancer. The proposed
combination is seen to serve as
a stronger combat against
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer,
especially for the recurring
cases.
In the US, the Health and Human
Services Department clearly
targets the habit of smoking as
the main antagonist in the
fight against lung cancer. A
propaganda campaign is almost
everywhere to make Americans,
if not totally quit, slowdown
on smoking.
About the Author :
For more valuable information
on Cancer, Heart Health, please
visit http://www.healthsnippets.com
Article
Source:
www.iSnare.com
|
|
