The type of cancer that I have chosen to focus on in this project is Lung Cancer. The main discussions will be the Signs and Symptoms, and the Causes and Treatments, however, other minor topics will be addressed to as well. The obvious signs of this cancer have to be chest related, and one of the leading causes, already known to many, is by smoking. This type of Cancer appealed to me because I have heard much about it, and it is recognized as a major threat to society. Lung cancer has devastated many populations of people, from smokers to non-smokers, and people from all over the world. In this project I hope to obtain a greater understanding of the role of this particular cancer in our environment and to learn about its urgent importance of prevention.
All of the types of cancer begin developing in our cells, which are the body's primary unit of life. To comprehend cancer, it is helpful to know how our normal cells become cancerous. The body is made up of many types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide, and produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy and functioning properly. Sometimes, however, the process goes wrong. The cells keep dividing when the new cells are not needed. The extra amount of cells forms a growth or tumor. Tumors can be Benign, (which are not cancerous) or Malignant, (which are cancerous). Benign tumors often can be removed and in most cases, they don't come back. The cells in Benign tumors don't spread to other parts of the body. Benign tumors are most likely not a threat to anyone's life, although it can be, rarely. Cells in Malignant tumors are abnormal and divide without any kind of control or order. These cancer cells invade and destroy the tissue around them. Cancer cells can also break away from a Malignant tumor and enter the bloodstream. This process, called Metastasis, is how cancer spreads from the original tumor to form new tumors in other parts of the body.
