Overview Of Effective Lung Cancer Treatment Options

Lung cancer is a type of cancer that originates in cells that form tissues of an individual's lungs or organs responsible for oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange in the body. Lung cancer leads the United States in most cancer precipitated fatalities, claiming more lives than prostate, ovarian, colon, and breast cancers combined. The most prevalent causes of lung cancer are cigarette smoking and prolonged secondhand smoke exposure. Chemicals in the smoke cause repeated and compounded cellular damage that eventually mutates the DNA to the point of malignancy. Individuals who do not smoke can also get lung cancer, but causes of such cases are unclear. Symptoms of lung cancer include shortness of breath, chest pain, headache, bone pain, hoarseness, coughing blood, and a persistent cough. A lung cancer diagnosis is made using x-ray images, CT scans, MRIs, sputum cytology, and a lung tissue biopsy.