Lung cancer is a growth of malignant cells in the lungs.You see, throughout your life the cells in your body continually divide and reproduce. Believe it or not, every minute of your life this process takes place ten million times. Think about it … ten million times a minute! Not only is that incredible, it’s a demonstration of how complex your body really is.

Now, for the most part, this all takes place in an orderly manner as your cells go about doing their job of meeting the needs of your body. Occasionally, however, a cellular mutation will occur and rather than maturing and dying as it was intended to do, a cell continues reproducing. This is cancer … the uncontrolled reproduction and growth of abnormal cells in the body.

Lung cancer is the growth of these malignant cells in the lungs.

Most often, lung cancer is believed to form in the epithelial lining of the airways, where the oxygen is extracted from the air we breathe. This is why lung cancer is sometimes referred to as bronchogenic carcinoma (cancer arising from the bronchia). A relatively small percentage of lung cancer (10% or less) begins in the pleura, the thin tissue sac that surrounds the lungs. These cancers are called mesothelioma. The most common form of mesothelioma is linked to exposure to asbestos. The rarest form of lung cancer begins in the blood vessels or other supporting tissues of the lungs.

Types of Lung Cancer

There are two main types of lung cancer - small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Small cell lung cancer is the less common of the two, which is good, because it’s also the more deadly. Less than one percent of small cell lung cancer is diagnosed in non-smokers. This means that smoking is the primary culprit behind this type of lung cancer. SCLC is aggressive and fast-moving. It rapidly metastasizes to other organs, and is often not discovered until the cancer is already widespread throughout the body.

Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for approximately 80% of diagnosed lung cancer cases. Within this category of lung cancer, there are three main sub-categories … squamous cell cancer, adenocarcinomas, and large cell carcinomas. Sometimes two or even all three can appear together.

Finally, there are some less common types of lung cancer such as bronchial carcinoids (small tumors that are most often found in people under 40 years of age). These tend to be less aggressive, grow slowly, and often can be effectively treated.

A Deadly Cancer

Cancer of the lungs is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. This is primarily due to the fact that lung cancer tends to metastasize early in the process of the disease and is often not discovered until it’s spread. Additionally, when lung cancer does metastasize, it tends to spread to the most vital yet vulnerable organs of the body. The adrenal glands, the liver, the brain and the bones are all early targets.

Finally, because the lungs are so susceptible to metastatic cancers from other sources throughout the body, it’s not uncommon to find a cancer in the lungs that is not lung cancer but a metastatic cancer. These cancers tend to make their home in the peripheral tissues of the lungs rather than the primary tissues.

Malignant mesothelioma, also known as mesothelioma cancer is a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the lung (pleura), the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), and the lining of the heart (pericardium). The most familiar type of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, while pericardial mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma are less frequent. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. The main cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, although other factors such as smoking may result in additional complications.Smoking modern cigarettes does not seem to enlarge the risk of mesothelioma. Simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma. There are five common types of mesothelioma. Four of are malignant cancers, and one is a benign condition. Pleural Mesothelioma type of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lungs, known as the pleura. It is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma. Peritoneal Mesothelioma form of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdominal cavity. Pericardial Mesothelioma form of mesothelioma develops in the lining of the heart, known as the pericardium.

Testicular Mesothelioma is the infrequent type of malignant mesothelioma; to date, there have been less than 100 proof cases. Testicular mesothelioma develops in the tunica vaginalis of the testicles. Benign Mesothelioma benign form of mesothelioma most commonly develops in the pleura. This is the only form of mesothelioma for which full cure and recovery is a probable outcome, though it may be a precursor of future asbestos-related problems. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the abdomen.

Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may comprise bowel obstruction, blood clotting irregularities, anemia, and fever. Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the sites of the cancer, the phase of the disease, and the patient’s age and normal health. Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed. Radiotherapy may be used as part of treatment to try to cure mesothelioma.