Among the many different kind of cancers, Lung Cancer is one of the major cancers that affect widely a great number of people today. Both men and women are susceptible to it. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time dedicated to informing and educating the general public about this disease.

Understanding Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer is the unsuppressed development of uncommon cells in one or both lungs. Instead of the cells functioning normally as healthy lung cells to help with the provision of oxygen to the body through the blood, they form tumours which prevent the lungs from doing its normal duties. There are two kinds of Lung Cancer, namely the Non- Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and the Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). NSCLC accounts for 86 % percent of Lung Cancers whereas SCLC accounts for the 14% that are remaining.

Lung Cancer establishes itself when the abnormal cell transmutes in the cells deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) usually due to inhalation of harmful gases, smoking or other environmental factors. It could also be due to the usual ageing process of cells. It takes multiple mutations to get the cancer cell to develop. Once the cancer cell divides, it spreads itself to two new cells, thus affecting them too then the two replicate to other four new cells and the series continues. Metastasis is the process by which the tumour travels to other organs and settles in the new home and the new environment is termed to be metastases.

Lung Cancer Symptoms
Symptoms of Lung Cancer are usually in the chest. If at all you are suspecting pain or anything unusual in your chest. One is advised to go to the doctor to get a diagnosis after a thorough check up. Some of the symptoms are persistent cough, chest pains, coughing out of blood, shortness of breath and removal of weird sounds when breathing. If the cancer advances, other organs such as the brain and liver get affected.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Lung Cancer Awareness Month is a time for special activities and campaigns with the aim of encouraging people to go for early screening to avoid the cancer from advancing and to give hope to those living with Lung Cancer and to teach them about how to be able to live with it and control it.

As well as having November as the Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the month of May has been designated to be their hope month. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is one of the organisations that will be ensuring the smooth run of the Lung Cancer public awareness campaigns to advocate for the ones that are affected by this disease.