Lung cancer does not discriminate. Although it usually affects older adults, it can also strike younger adults, such as Dana Reeves, the wife of Superman Christopher Reeves, who died at age 44 from the disease. Many famous people have succumbed to lung cancer- John Wayne, Walt Disney, Gary Cooper, and Peter Jennings, to name a few. Small-cell lung cancer (also called oat cell cancer) is one of the most common kinds of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 20-25% of all cases of lung cancer. This type of cancer grows rapidly and also spreads quickly, making it a very lethal form of lung cancer. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for the disease.
Symptoms of lung cancer include the following:
Coughing
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Hemoptysis (coughing up blood-tinged sputum or frank bleeding)
Hoarseness
Fatigue
Unintentional weight loss
Once the diagnosis of lung cancer is made, treatment may include surgery, radiation, treatment, or any combination of these. Unfortunately, even with treatment this type of cancer often cannot be cured. That is why news of a vaccine called Lucanix is causing some excitement among oncologists. The vaccine, which has completed phase 2 testing, has been shown to increase survival rates of patients with stage 3 and stage 4 small-cell lung cancer from one to almost 4 years. The vaccine has been approved for phase 3 testing by the FDA, and testing is set to begin immediately across the United States.
The vaccine is exciting news for a disease which often kills 60% of those diagnosed within a year.
Related Links:
? Video: Risk Factors for Cancer from illumistream
? Lung Cancer from the National Cancer Institute
