WHAT IS LUNG CANCER?

 

The answer to the title question is simple. Lung cancer is cancer in the lungs. But you may wonder just what is happening in the lungs to develop lung cancer. Since lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in the United States and cancer is the number two cause of deaths in the United States, I thought to make a few posts about the lungs and lung cancer. We will start with the basics; lung cancer happens when cells in the lungs grow out of control.

Normally, new cells grow and divide as the body needs them but die when they are old or damaged. But if you have lung cancer, new cells form when your body doesn't need them. These extra cells build up and form into a tumor.  That is a very basic fact as I am not a medical person to go into further detail. 

Many wonder what causes lung cancer, and there are many reasons. Most think those who have lung cancer developed it because of smoking. That is a leading reason, but not the only one. Other causes are exposure to radon gas, secondhand smoke or other chemicals. One can also inherit a higher risk of cancer.

Smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer, but it is not the only one.

This is a file photo.