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Early Detection of Lung Cancer
By admin | December 9, 2007
Lung cancer is, by far, the top deadliest cancer in the United States alone. The number of deaths due to lung cancer far exceeds the number of deaths for other different types of cancers combined. Thing is, it’s hard treating lung cancer because there are usually no symptoms early on into the illness. Most usually, for onset lung cancer, severe coughing to the point of bleeding is displayed. Chest pain, shortness of breath and wheezing are other symptoms. When the cancer has become more serious, noticeable lumps or mass on the surface of one’s flesh are present due to infection of the lymph nodes.
Thing is, lung cancer is usually detected by chance when people are checked for other diseases. When people experience any of the above symptoms, chances are, they get themselves tested for other conditions and it’s only then the cancer is discovered. And usually by then, it’s already too late. In fact, patients with lung cancer are given a five-year survival rate. The highest percentage of survival is 60% and that’s for those whose cancer hasn’t spread to the lymph nodes. Out of all lung cancer patients, only 15% has been detected early.
An early detection could mean salvation for millions of people. Unlike liver cancer which has recently found hope on a certain gene, there’s still nothing to lung cancer. To try and provide an answer to the problem, the Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation has recently pledged a sum of USD$10 for this purpose. The amount was given to the Canary Foundation, in an effort to study lung cancer more closely and find a method for early detection. If and when they succeed in doing so, there are many who’d be more than thankful for the results. Hopefully, it won’t be too long into the future.
Topics: Lung Cancer, Early Detection |
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