What causes lung cancer? What are the causes and clinical symptoms of lung cancer?

Lung cancer is a disease that everyone is familiar with. The lungs are the main component of the respiratory system. There are many causes of lung cancer in life. Sometimes a small habit we inadvertently develop can lead to lung cancer. Therefore, we must fully understand the causes and symptoms of lung cancer, do a good job of prevention, and detect the disease at the first time.

The etiology of lung cancer is complex and closely related to the following factors:

1. Occupational factors: People who have long-term exposure to radioactive substances such as uranium, radium and their derivatives, carcinogenic hydrocarbons, arsenic, chromium, nickel, copper, tin, iron, coal tar, asphalt, petroleum, asbestos, mustard gas and other substances have a significantly higher risk of morbidity.

2. Chronic lung diseases. The incidence rate of patients with chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, silicosis, and pneumoconiosis is higher than that of normal people. In addition, chronic inflammation of the lungs and bronchi and fibrous scar lesions of the lungs can also cause squamous metaplasia or hyperplasia during the healing process, leading to cancer.

3. Internal factors of the human body, such as family heredity, low immune function, metabolic activity, endocrine dysfunction, etc.

4. Smoking. Tobacco contains a variety of carcinogens such as benzopyrene, which can cause proliferation of bronchial mucosal epithelial cells and sclerosing epithelial cells, thus inducing cancer. The incidence rate of smokers is more than 10 times higher than that of non-smokers.

5. Environmental pollution. In industrially and traffic-developed areas, there are a large number of harmful carcinogenic substances containing benzopyrene, which makes the incidence of lung cancer remain high.

The clinical symptoms of lung cancer mainly include the following five aspects:

1. Chest pain. When the tumor affects the pleura, it will cause dull chest pain; when it erodes the chest wall ribs or compresses the intercostal nerves, it will cause sharp and severe chest pain, which will worsen with breathing, coughing, and changing body positions.

2. Fever. This is caused by the compression and obstruction of the lumen by the cancer, which leads to fever of obstructive pneumonia; when the tumor tissue degenerates and necrotizes, it leads to cancer fever.

3. Shortness of breath: Due to compression and obstruction by the tumor, the trachea and bronchial tubes are narrowed. Bronchial obstruction can cause the patient's lungs to collapse or breathing difficulties, resulting in symptoms of shortness of breath.

4. Cough. Paroxysmal irritating cough, mostly occasional dry cough, with varying amounts of sputum.

5. Hemoptysis. The primary lesion invades the small blood vessels of the respiratory tract, and blood will flow into the respiratory tract, causing intermittent and repeated small amounts of bloody sputum. Some patients occasionally have severe hemoptysis, and the blood is mostly bright red. The duration of hemoptysis generally ranges from a few days to several months.

The above is an introduction to the causes and clinical symptoms of lung cancer. Many patients cannot understand their own disease well during the onset period. Some patients are careless and find that they are already in the late stage of lung cancer and miss the best time for treatment. This is very wrong. Therefore, it is very necessary for everyone to have a comprehensive understanding of lung cancer.