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Lung cancer is a disease caused by the rapid growth and division of cells that make up the lungs. Lung cancer is sometimes called "bronchogenic cancer," or it may be described by its particular histologic type, that is the type of tissue that is diseased.

Under normal circumstances, lung cells reproduce in an orderly fashion to maintain tissue health and to repair injuries. However, when growth control is lost and cells divide too much and too fast, a cellular mass - or tumor - is formed. If the tumor is confined to a few cell layers (for example, surface cells) and it does not invade surrounding tissues or organs, it is considered benign. By contrast, if the tumor spreads to surrounding tissues or organs, it is considered malignant, or cancerous. If cancerous cells break away from the original tumor, travel, and grow within other body parts- such as the brain, bone, liver, adrenal glands, the opposite lung, or lymph nodes of the chest or collarbone (clavicle) regions - the process is known as metastasis.

Lung Cancer Facts & Figures
Lung cancer is among the most common cancers in the Western world. In the United States, there were approximately 170,000 new cases of lung cancer in 1999. Since the mid-1990s, about 150,000 Americans have died each year from this disease. Lung cancer is the leading category of cancer death in men, and - since the late 1980s - it has surpassed breast cancer as the leading category of cancer death in women. Findings from the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) indicate that the upward trend in cancer-related death is due to the rapidly increasing rate of lung cancer mortality.

Statistical projections suggest that lung cancer mortality in this decade will continue to rise to a rate of over 50 deaths per year per 100,000 population in America. Current lung cancer prevention programs are not expected to influence lung cancer death rates until after the year 2000.

Lung cancer is especially common among men in North America, Europe, and Oceania. At the moment, lung cancer rates are higher than ever before among the people of central and Eastern Europe. In Japan, lung cancer has increased tenfold in men and eightfold in women since 1950. The highest rates of lung cancer in men are found in the Maori population of New Zealand, and in several African-American groups, including the black populations of New Orleans, the San Francisco Bay area, Detroit, and Alameda County, California. In addition, the rate of lung cancer remains very high in western Scotland. Yet very low lung cancer rates are seen in the men of undeveloped regions of India, Africa, and South America. Lung cancer rates also are highest among Maori women and among some black and white populations within the United States. In addition, Chinese women, many of whom are non-smokers, have very high lung cancer rates. This phenomenon has been associated with exposure to cooking oil vapors and other forms of air pollution in the indoor environments of China.

There is a close relationship between the number of lung cancer cases and lung cancer deaths in America. This is because of the low 5-year survival rate for this disease. Although lung cancer survival rates have improved over the last 40 years, the percentage (approximately 13%) continues to be low in comparison to other cancers.

Lung Anatomy
The lungs are the body's major organs of respiration. The two vital parts that make up the lungs are located on each side of the chest within the rib cage. They are separated by the heart and other contents of the mediastinum - the tissues and organs of the middle chest (e.g., the heart and large vessels, windpipe, etc.). The lungs are shaped rather like an upside-down butterfly. The top, or apex, of each lung extends into the lowest part of the neck, just above the level of the first rib. The bottom, or base, of each lung extends down to the diaphragm, which is the major breathing-associated muscle that separates the chest from the abdominal cavity.

Each lung is divided into upper and lower lobes, although the upper lobe of the right lung contains another triangular subdivision known as the middle lobe. The right lung is larger and heavier than the left lung, which is somewhat smaller in size because of the position of the heart. At birth, the lungs are pinkish-white in color; however, with age, the lungs darken to gray or mottled black because of deposits of carbon and other particles that are inhaled over the years.

The root connects the lungs to the heart and the trachea (windpipe). Each root is made up of a main stem bronchus (large air passage connecting the windpipe to the right or left lungs), pulmonary artery (major artery that brings oxygen-poor blood back to the right or left lungs), pulmonary vein (major vein receiving oxygen-rich blood from the lobes of the right or left lungs), the bronchial arteries and veins, as well as nerves and lymphatic vessels.

A clear, thin, shiny covering known as the serous coat, or pleura, covers the lungs. The inner, visceral layer of the pleura is attached to the lungs and the outer, parietal layer is attached to the chest wall. Both layers are held in place by a film of pleural fluid in a manner similar to two microscope slides that are wet and stuck together. Beneath the pleura is a layer of elastic fibers that span the lung surface and extend down into its subdivisions.

The trachea splits into right and left main stem bronchi. The main stem bronchi are the major air passages from the trachea to the lungs and are similar to the trachea in tissue composition. The main stem bronchi enter each lung and progressively branch off into paired subdivisions throughout the entire organ (the 'tracheobronchial tree').

The tracheobronchial tree serves to conduct, humidify, and heat air that is breathed in, or inspired. At its endpoints, the tracheobronchial tree connects with the blood vessels. The lining of the tracheobronchial tree is composed of columnar epithelium (column-shaped surface cells) and glands that produce mucus and serous (clear plasma) fluid. The cilia (hair-like projections on columnar epithelium) move in a constant, beating motion to cleanse the airways of foreign bodies and infectious organisms. In normal lungs, the cilia are covered by a watery 'mucous blanket' - a gel-like liquid that is moved by the cilia and aids the lungs' self-cleaning. Coughing triggers a high-speed flow of air, which mobilizes the mucous blanket. The sputum produced by such mobilization contains mucus, nasal secretions, and saliva.

The essential tissue of the lung - lung parenchyma - is made up of clusters of spongy air sacs called lobules. There are about 130,000 primary lobules in each lung. Each lobule is approximately 3.5 millimeters in diameter and contains about 2,200 alveoli (air sacs and ducts). Tracheobronchial branches that are larger than 1 millimeter in diameter and have connective tissue coverings are called segmental bronchi. The smallest subdivisions, which are less than 1 millimeter in diameter and do not have connective tissue coverings, are called bronchioles. The final branches of the bronchioles are called terminal bronchioles. The bronchioles end in irregular, swollen projections known as alveolar ducts (terminal branches composed of special gas-exchanging tissue) and alveolar sacs (blind passage of an alveolar duct). The fluid that lines the alveolar regions contains a detergent-like substance known as surfactant, which reduces surface tension within the alveoli and keeps them from collapsing during breathing.

Blood Vessels
Oxygen-poor blood is brought back to the lungs by means of the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary artery divides into branches that parallel the bronchial tubes and it ends in a network of pulmonary capillaries (tiny blood vessels) within the walls of the small air passages and alveoli of the lungs.

The pulmonary veins carry oxygen-rich blood away from the lungs. They begin in the pulmonary capillaries, unite to form larger branches (e.g., the left and right superior and inferior pulmonary veins), and eventually lead into the left atrium of the heart. The heart then pumps the oxygenated blood out to the body parts via the aorta (the great artery arising from the left ventricle of the heart).

The bronchial arteries are blood vessels that branch off from the aorta to supply blood and nutrition for the lung itself and the bronchial tubes. The bronchial vein begins at the root of the lung and receives blood from vessels near the bronchial arteries.

Lymphatic System
Lymphatic vessels are structures that drain lymph. Lymph is the clear, yellowish fluid containing lymphocytes (white blood cells that fight disease) from the tissues of the body. The lungs have two sets of lymphatic vessels - a surface, or superficial set, and a deep set. The superficial lymphatic vessels are located beneath the pleura (thin, serous covering of the lungs), whereas the deep set follow the blood vessels and extend along the bronchi. Both sets of lymphatic vessels end at the root of the lungs, within the bronchial glands. Two or three efferent (outward-leading) vessels travel up the trachea (windpipe) to the base of the neck, where they cross the trachea and esophagus (tube that passes from the mouth to the stomach). These vessels end at either the thoracic duct (passage that empties a large amount of lymph and lymph-related compounds into the blood) on the left side or the lymphatic duct on the right.

Nerves
The lungs receive their nerve supply from the anterior (front) and posterior (back) nerve networks, called pulmonary plexuses. These plexuses are offshoots of larger nerves - e.g., the sympathetic nerves of the trunk and the pneumogastric (tenth cranial, or vagus) nerve. The nerves of the lung contain small, knot-like masses known as ganglia. http://www.oncologychannel.com/lungcancer/index.shtml

Smoking's contribution to lung cancer cannot be evaluated properly without considering the influence of many variables. Such variables include not only environmental agents, but also unalterable risk factors such as age, sex, race, and genetics.

Alcohol
Smokers tend to drink more alcoholic beverages and coffee and to consume more non-narcotic pain relievers than nonsmokers. Numerous studies have reported a relationship between the severity of alcohol- and nicotine-dependency, which, in turn, may be controlled by genetic factors. Some researchers suggest that smoking may reduce the intoxicating effects of alcohol and, therefore, may promote the progression from moderate to heavy drinking. In addition, laboratory findings show that regular alcohol use and heavy smoking are linked with an increased rate of alcohol elimination from the body. Alcohol is metabolized by the liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. Smoking alcoholics often have high blood levels of the liver enzymes aspartate aminotransferase (AST; a.k.a. [serum] glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT]) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT; a.k.a. [serum] glutamic-pyruvic transaminase [SGPT]). Such enzymes are released into the blood because of liver injury caused by alcohol or other toxic substances.

In addition, alcoholism is associated with significant immune suppression - as shown by changes in the interferon system (a class of antiviral proteins) and by the altered activity of natural killer cells (cells capable of producing cell-killing reactions). Therefore, drinking history may have a great effect on a person's susceptibility to carcinogenesis.

Asbestos
Researchers have found that there is a synergistic interaction between cigarette smoke and asbestos exposure. In a synergistic interaction, the combined effect of two or more agents is greater than that of either agent alone. It is estimated that asbestos workers with histories of cigarette smoking have a lung cancer risk eight times higher than smokers who have not been exposed to asbestos. In addition, asbestos-exposed male smokers have roughly 50 times the lung cancer risk of non-smoking, unexposed men. http://www.oncologychannel.com/lungcancer/environmental.shtml

In the early 1900s, the dangers of asbestos fibers became evident. Asbestos fibers easily tear apart and become airborne. If the fibers are inhaled or ingested, they transfer to body tissue, where they become permanently lodged, resulting in serious illnesses such as a variety of cancers, mesothelioma, asbestosis, respiratory complications, and other serious conditions. These diseases can remain dormant for years and even decades following the initial exposure. http://www.asbestosnews.com/html/asbestos-fibers.html

If asbestos fibers are compromised by renovation, remodeling, deterioration, or disturbance, the fibers may break loose and become airborne. Once these fibers are inhaled or ingested, they may become trapped in the lungs or the digestive tract permanently, causing serious illness or disease such as lung cancer. http://www.asbestosnews.com/html/lung-cancer.html

Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos, as we all are in our daily lives, do not develop these health problems. However, if disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers, which can be inhaled into the lungs. The fibers can remain there for a long time, increasing the risk of disease. Asbestos material that would crumble easily if handled, or that has been sawed, scraped, or sanded into a powder, is more likely to create a health hazard. http://www.epa.gov/region8/sf/libby/healthrisk.html

Asbestos-related diseases - whether expressed as lung cancer, asbestosis (asbestos-associated pneumoconiosis, a dust-induced inflammatory disease of the lungs), or malignant mesothelioma (a cancer of the mesothelium, a thin tissue that lines the body cavity) - usually arise more than 20 years after initial exposure. Plaques (surface patches) and thickening of the pleura (thin covering of the lungs) may indicate asbestos exposure, but they are not associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Similarly, fibrosis (formation of fibrous tissue as a repair process) does not reliably predict the development of lung cancer, since asbestos is associated with lung cancer even in the absence of lung fibrosis.

All histologic (tissue) types of lung cancer have been linked with asbestos exposure in smokers and non-smokers. Yet a recent study suggests that lung adenocarcinoma (gland-like type of lung cancer) may have more point mutations in a gene known as the K-ras oncogene (a viral gene that can transform a host cell into a cancer cell) than other forms of lung cancer. Experts believe that if K-ras mutations are caused by smoking, asbestos may promote lung cancer by giving the mutated cells selective conditions for growth and expansion.

Diet and Body Mass
Numerous studies suggest that there is a positive correlation between lung cancer risk and the intake of cholesterol and/or dietary fat. Some experts theorize that dietary fat consumption may actually modify the association between smoking and lung cancer in various countries and subpopulations.

Investigators have found a relationship between dietary intake of vegetables and a modest, protective effect against lung cancer. In particular, researchers have seen an inverse association between the intake of beta-carotene, which is found in many yellow and green vegetables, and lung cancer risk. The anticarcinogenic (cancer-inhibiting) effect of beta-carotene seems most apparent among people who are at higher risk due to past or present smoking habits.

Beta-carotene may not be the only protective substance within the diet. Some studies have found stronger protective effects from diets that are abundant in all vegetables, cruciferous vegetables (cabbages, cauliflower, etc.), tomatoes, and other vegetable-based compounds such as indoles, lycopene, lutein, vitamin E, and selenium.

One explanation for vegetables' protective effect is the scavenging of free radicals (elements or atoms that pass intact from one compound to another in a free state) by antioxidants, agents that stop the process of oxidation, thus preventing the breakdown of bodily substances. Beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and other compounds are antioxidants that are found within vegetables and fruits. Studies of chemoprevention - cancer prevention by chemicals - are being conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other agencies to determine the benefits, if any, of antioxidant supplements in individuals at high risk for lung cancer (e.g., smokers, asbestos-exposed workers). Most studies have focused on the antioxidants beta-carotene and retinol. Unfortunately, researchers do not yet understand the nature of the association among dietary intake, blood levels of antioxidants, and lung cancer risk. A low blood level of beta-carotene may increase the risk of lung cancer, or it may be a marker of some other undetermined factor. Hopefully, data from ongoing chemoprevention trials will help to define this relationship.

A point of controversy is the inverse, or opposite, association between low body weight, or body mass index (BMI), and lung cancer. Some researchers have observed that thinness is related to increased lung cancer risk, regardless of smoking habits or weight loss due to disease; by contrast, other researchers suggest that the thinness/lung cancer association can be explained by smoking habits alone. More information is still needed to conclude whether or not low body weight causes or reflects increased susceptibility to lung cancer, especially in smokers.

Occupational Exposure
Occupational exposure—particularly uranium, radon, or asbestos exposure—can interact with smoking in an additive or synergistic manner. That is, lung cancer rates may be increased beyond the effects of either exposure alone. Therefore, it is essential to obtain an accurate occupational and smoking history when determining an individual's risk of lung cancer.

A number of global committees have reviewed the cancer-causing potential of common occupational substances. For example, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) have identified many workplace materials that are possible lung carcinogens. Table 3 outlines the materials currently categorized as being definite or suspected lung carcinogens.

It is not known what percentage of all lung cancer is due to occupational exposure. This uncertainty is because of the fact that information about workers' exposure is often incomplete or inaccurate. In addition, there is no histologic basis for distinguishing between lung cancers that are caused by occupational versus other factors. Yet, in spite of these limitations, some experts calculate that about 15% of lung cancers in men and 5% of lung cancers in women can be attributed to occupational exposure. Others estimate that occupation contributes to 1–5% of lung cancers in men and women of industrialized nations.

Age
Lung cancer is a "disease of aging." During aging, as the body's internal repair processes are slowed and its metabolism changes, the likelihood of cancer development (carcinogenesis) increases. According to the American Cancer Society, the average age of people with lung cancer is 60. Lung cancer is unusual among people under 40 years of age. The majority of lung cancers occur among people in older age groups (50+ years).

Some experts suggest that lung cancer occurs because of the accumulation of numerous genetic mutations, some of which may be caused by tobacco carcinogens. Such a collection of genetic mutations would be affected by the age-related length of exposure to carcinogens, as well as individual susceptibility and the intensity and variety of exposure(s).

Race
There are many variations in smoking habits among different races and ethnic groups within the United States. In recent decades, there have been more smokers, but fewer cigarettes smoked per day, among black versus white men, although both black and white women have reported similar smoking rates. In addition, menthol cigarettes are widely used among black Americans. Yet black men and women exhibit higher lung cancer rates than whites, even after findings have been adjusted for differences in smoking habits. Dissimilar socioeconomic backgrounds may account for some of the differences in lung cancer rates between black and white populations within the United States (e.g., the highest rate of age-adjusted lung cancer incidence is found in the black citizens of New Orleans, many of whom belong to low socioeconomic groups).

In Japan, lung cancer incidence has risen eight- and tenfold among women and men, respectively. Among central and eastern Europeans, lung cancer rates are higher than ever recorded. The causes of such increases are unknown, although genetic differences may be sources of variance in lung cancer risk among different racial and ethnic groups.

Sex
The higher rate of lung cancer among American men, in comparison to American women, probably mirrors the higher rate of smoking in this group. Men and women in the United States have historically differed in their cigarette smoking habits—including the frequency of smoking, age when starting to smoke, and patterns and intensity of smoking. The highest reported female smoking rates occurred in the 1970s, although such figures did not equal or exceed smoking rates in men. Some studies have noted sex-specific differences in lung cancer rates even after adjustment for smoking. In addition, lung cancer deaths remain higher in male versus female non-smokers. It is thought that other related factors, such as sex-linked genetic susceptibility or sex hormones, may be responsible for some of the gender-related differences in lung cancer risk. http://www.oncologychannel.com/lungcancer/riskfactors.shtml

Stress: A Cause of Cancer?

There’s no escaping it: stress is a part of our lives. How we handle that stress can have an impact on our health. Every day, we hear more and more about the harm it may cause our minds and bodies,- from heart disease to anxiety attacks. Now researchers are trying to determine if stress is also a factor in who will develop cancer.

Currently, there is no evidence that stress is a direct cause of cancer. But evidence is accumulating that there is some link between stress and developing certain kinds of cancer, as well as how the disease progresses.

Hundreds of studies have measured how stress impacts our immune systems and fights disease. At Ohio State University, researcher Dr. Ron Glaser, Ph.D., found that students under pressure had slower-healing wounds and took longer to produce immune system cells that kill invading organisms. Renowned researcher Dr. Dean Ornish, M.D., who has spent 20 years examining the effects of stress on the body, found that stress-reduction techniques could actually help reverse heart disease. And Dr. Barry Spiegel, M.D., a leader in the field of psychosomatic medicine, found that metastatic breast cancer patients lived longer when they participated in support groups.

Other studies have gone as far as to show those women who experienced traumatic life events or losses in previous years had significantly higher rates of breast cancer.

Still, the National Cancer Institute reports, “Although studies have shown that stress factors, such as death of a spouse, social isolation, and medical school examinations, alter the way the immune system functions, they have not provided scientific evidence of a direct cause-and-effect relationship between these immune system changes and the development of cancer.”

Nonetheless, some medical experts say therein lies the link between cancer and stress — if stress decreases the body’s ability to fight disease, it loses the ability to kill cancer cells.

Every day, our bodies are exposed to cancer-causing agents in the air, food and water we’re exposed to. Typically, our immune system recognizes those abnormal cells and kills them before they produce a tumor. There are three important things that can happen to prevent cancer from developing — the immune system can prevent the agents from invading in the first place, DNA can repair the abnormal cells or killer T-cells can kill off cancer cells.

Research has shown that stress can lower the body’s ability to do each of those things, according to Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral sciences at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Does that mean there’s a direct link between stress and the risk of developing cancer? Not necessarily, Cohen said.

Part of the reason stress may be linked to cancer, he said, is simply that when people are under pressure they make poor choices — they begin smoking, stop exercising, start eating unhealthy foods — all factors that are also linked to cancer.

Even if that’s not the case, “there are a lot of things that have to happen for cancer to develop. I think it’s fair to say that stress could be one of the many components in lowering immune systems and therefore making us more susceptible to cancer and a faster progression of the disease. But stress might just be one piece of the puzzle — what percentage is the question. I fall back on the fact that regardless of what percentage it might be, it’s a percentage we’re more in control of. We can’t control genetics, but we can change how we respond to stress,” he said, adding that it’s not necessarily the stress itself as much as the way people handle stress that may be linked to disease. http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/12/stress-a-cause-of-cancer

That’s why it’s important the public understand the connection between stress and cancer, despite a lack of hard scientific evidence, according to Dr. Thomas J. Barnard, M.D., spokesman for the Physicians for Responsible Medicine and a practicing physician in Ontario.

“When you take the scientific information we have and combine it with the common sense evidence, there’s clearly a link. Part of the problem we have in Western medicine is what we consider acceptable evidence,” said Barnard, who teaches human biology and nutrition at the University of Guelph in Ontario and is an author.

“It would be nicer to have these markers more obvious, but I don’t think we need cemented evidence before we encourage people to start moving in the direction of better health,” he said.

“My advice for healthy living is this: Eat good food, get good exercise, be kind, be calm. It kind of incorporates what your grandma told you, but it may take science awhile to catch up with that.”

OK, you now know that stress may have a negative impact on your health. But you also know you’re never going to be completely rid of stress. The key isn’t in doing away with all of life’s pressures but in how you handle them on a daily basis.

Here are some tips for stress management from Reina Marino, M.D., a Philadelphia-based physician and a consultant for the American Cancer Society, in developing a group stress reduction class for cancer patients and survivors.

Deep Breathing

When you are under stress, you often inhale from your chest, which tends to be a more shallow and constricted way of breathing. Breathing deeply, inhaling from your abdomen instead of your chest, provides more oxygen to your bloodstream and can help you control your emotions and stay calm.

To start, place your hands over your belly and slowly breathe in through your nose. Feel your stomach expand, then slowly exhale. Do this 10 to 20 minutes a day.

Meditation

Meditation is a way to calm your body and mind by focusing your attention on one thing, such as a phrase, an object or your breathing. The most common way of meditating is to pick a word or phrase that you can say to yourself in coordination with your breathing. If you use a single word, repeat it when exhaling. If you are using a few words, try coordinating some of the words on the in breath and some on the out breath. It’s ideal to mediate at least 10 to 20 minutes a day.

Imagery

Can you picture the way the seashore looked the last time you were there or imagine the smell of your mom’s apple pie baking? If so, you can practice imagery, which is simply creating a mental picture or scene that can help soothe and relax you. What colors do you see? What sounds or scents are associated with this place? What is the temperature like? Try to use all of your senses to create a more vivid picture.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is simply focusing on the present moment, concentrating on the here-and-now. As you go to or from work, notice your surroundings, appreciate the look of the sky or the sound of a bird. While at work or at home, try to focus on the task or project at hand, without thinking about what you have to do in the next hour or next day. Take pleasure in simple things, like savoring a good meal or laughing with your family and friends. Try not to get distracted by what happened yesterday or what may happen tomorrow. Enjoy today. http://psychcentral.com/lib/2006/12/stress-a-cause-of-cancer?pp=2

Tobacco is very effective natural concentration intensifier and antidepressant and it doesn’t cause lung cancer:

Yes, it is true, smoking does not cause lung cancer. It is only one of many risk factors for lung cancer. I initially was going to write an article on how the professional literature and publications misuse the language by saying "smoking causes lung cancer"^1,2, but the more that I looked into how biased the literature, professional organizations, and the media are, I modified this article to one on trying to put the relationship between smoking and cancer into perspective. (No, I did not get paid off by the tobacco companies, or anything else like that.)

When the tobacco executives testified to Congress that they did not believe that smoking caused cancer, their answers were probably truthful and I agree with that statement. Now, if they were asked if smoking increases the risk of getting lung cancer, then their answer based upon current evidence should have be "yes." But even so, the risk of a smoker getting lung cancer is much less than anyone would suspect. Based upon what the media and anti-tobacco organizations say, one would think that if you smoke, you get lung cancer (a 100% correlation) or at least expect a 50+% occurrence before someone uses the word "cause."

Would you believe that the real number is < 10% (see Appendix A)? Yes, a US white male (USWM) cigarette smoker has an 8% lifetime chance of dying from lung cancer but the USWM non-smoker also has a 1% chance of dying from lung cancer (see Appendix A). In fact, the data used is biased in the way that it was collected and the actual risk for a smoker is probably less. I personally would not smoke cigarettes and take that risk, nor recommend cigarette smoking to others, but the numbers were less than I had been led to believe. I only did the data on white males because they account for the largest number of lung cancers in the US, but a similar analysis can be done for other groups using the CDC data.

You don't see this type of information being reported, and we hear things like, "if you smoke you will die", but when we actually look at the data, lung cancer accounts for only 2% of the annual deaths worldwide and only 3% in the US.**

I did not get paid off by the tobacco companies, or anything else like that too. Saying smoking is risk factor to lung cancer is the same that say eating spicy is risk factor to stomach cancer. Tobacco smoke is stimulant. So don’t use it having inflammations in your respiratory tract. What is the reason of so enduring lie of antismoking campaigns? See below:

Prognosis for lung cancer by stage

As with many other types of cancer, the outcome depends on how advanced your cancer is when it is diagnosed. In other words, the stage of your cancer. Lung cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat and is often diagnosed in very late stages. Because of these factors, lung cancer has one of the lowest survival outcomes of any type of cancer.

The confusion in medical world is used by medical commerce supporting various groups of hypocrites. Antismoking campaigns are also supported by drug dealers: the stresses and depressions are not away because the reasons are not eliminated, so there is many depressed people who are looking for antidepressants. May not smoke tobacco, so drugs are the solution.

What is the result? The quantity of drunken drivers is so increased that the streets are now changing in cross-country tracks with lying policemen, bottlenecks, and other kind barriers every 50 metres and some politicians are now seriously thinking to claim velocity restrictions below 90 km/h on highways and below 30 km/h on streets. The traffic accidents’ victims’ quantity is increased certainly. The drugs’ popularity is so increased that some politicians are claiming their legalization and free sale and a junkie is able to kill in a train station for an MP3-player only.

All kind addictions are bad. Stay away if you can. But being forced to look for antidepressants don’t forget that drugs and alcohol are not concentration intensifiers but suppressors. So being stressed or depressed choose for a cigarette but not for a joint or a drink. With drugs you have all chances to die from overdose in your 35 if you are rich and have not to work (none experienced junkie is able to learn or work) and to become a pocket-picker or killer or be killed if you are not rich. Driving drunken a car, motorcycle, bicycle or even walking on the street the death is waiting for you behind every corner.

Let’s try ordering facts. The genetic predisposition defines roughly speaking the weak spot in every individual human body. If my weak spot are my lungs then it is highly possible that I will ever die from tuberculosis or lung cancer or something like that. While aging when my body’s internal repair processes are slowed and my immune system is lowered I get more chances to die. In a stressful environment the chances are increased more. The stress is sure the reason of highest lung cancer rates at Chinese women and among the people of Central and Eastern Europe.

Mass stresses can be caused by anarchy, increased criminality, politic instability, dictate, ungrounded prohibitions, and I can add here based on my own experience: mass aggressiveness and obscurantism. In developed Western countries the mass stress is caused by overpopulation. In the case of overpopulation at any sort of biologic creatures are arising infections regulating the population. Increasing lung cancer and other incurable or hardly curable cases the nature (God?) is punishing us for forced births of damaged souls (the anti-abortion policy) and forced lives of souls crying for death (the anti-euthanasia policy). Perfect functioning souls have to leave their bodies and make place for damaged souls. The uncontrolled reproduction of human beings as rabbits is slowly taking us closer to rabbits.

Fine asbestos fibers have mechanical impact on lungs; they are causing micro-wounds on their surface. These wounds are self-healed by every healthy body but not in above-told cases when the immune system is lowered. Though the tobacco smoking has nothing common with lung cancer, its use can be deadly in such cases (irritating unhealed wounds). So this is the case when the perfect antidepressant has negative effect. Is this an impasse? Absolutely not. The following is the tobacco aromatization process:

Process for the aromatization of tobacco
Document Type and Number:	United States Patent 4785833
Link to this Page:	http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4785833.html
Abstract:	Process for the aromatization of tobacco leaves or tobacco particles, powder or sheets of natural or artificial origin by means of a volatile, water immiscible active flavor, which process is characterized in that the said flavor is put into intimate contact with the tobacco leaves, particles, powder or sheets by directly spraying onto their exposed surface an emulsion consisting of the said flavor, an aqueous solution of a hydro-soluble carrier and an emulsifier.

Are there reasons why we cannot use beta-carotene, indoles, lycopene, lutein, vitamin E, selenium, cabbage, cauliflower, tomato or simply plantain (http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/July05/healingwise.htm) leaves’ extracts as aromatizing solutions? I don’t see why. The use of aromatized in such way cigarettes can prevent the lung cancer even in the case of hardly damaged by asbestos lungs.