overview of lung Cancer

Lung cancer affects more than 200,000 Americans each year. Although cigarette smoking is the main cause, anyone can develop lung cancer. Lung cancer is always treatable, no matter

the size, location, or if the cancer has spread.

The lungs absorb oxygen from the air and bring the oxygen into the bloodstream for delivery to the rest of the body. As the body’s cells use oxygen, they release carbon dioxide. The

bloodstream carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs, and the

carbon dioxide leaves the body when people exhale. The lungs

contain many different types of cells. Most cells in the lung are

epithelial cells. Epithelial cells line the airways and produce

mucus, which lubricates and protects the lung. The lung also

contains nerve cells, hormone-producing cells, blood cells, and

structural or supporting cells.

There are two major types of lung cancer: non-small cell and

small cell. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) arises from

epithelial cells and is the most common type. Small cell lung

cancer begins in the nerve cells or hormone-producing cells of

the lung. The term “small cell” refers to the size and shape of

the cancer cells as seen under a microscope. It is important

for doctors to distinguish NSCLC from small cell lung cancer

because the two types of cancer are usually treated in

different ways.

Prevention For Skin Factor

• Avoid being in the sun from 10 AM to 4 PM.

• Wear clothing such as a hat, long sleeves and pants to block the sun’s rays.

• Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher year round when you are going outside.

• Learn to know what skin cancer looks like.

• Check your skin monthly. Report any changes to your doctor.

• If you are at risk, see a doctor who specializes in the skin called a dermatologist each year for a skin exam.

Risk Factor of Skin Cancer

Anyone, including people with dark skin, hair and eyes, can develop skin

cancer, not just those at higher risk. You are at higher risk if you have:

• Spent a lot of time in the sun

• Family members with skin cancer

• Certain types or a large number of moles

• Skin that burns or freckles in the sun

• Light-colored skin, hair and eyes

Fighting Cervical Cancer

The most important tool in the fight against cervical cancer is prevention. Prevention is best achieved by regular screening (1). This presents some important challenges to women, especially poor women

· Poor women, in particular those in developing countries often do not have access to free health services, or cannot afford to pay for screening. Moreover, if such services are available they are often in urban areas, which can act as an impediment for many rural women.

· A woman is more likely to put the health needs of her family above her own, so if money for a doctor is available, it will be spent on the children rather than their mother.

· Fear of her partner may also discourage a woman from having regular screening check-ups. He may refuse to allow her to go to the gynecologist, to pay for the screening, or for transportation to the clinic/hospital.

· In many societies women have no control over their sexual relations. Whether or not a woman can control when and with whom she has sexual contact is crucial in determining whether she can protect herself from exposure to HPV.

· Negative experiences with doctors or health workers in general may prevent women from having regular screening check-ups (6).

· Screening programs in Latin America tend to be linked to family planning programs, as a result they reach mainly women who are under thirty. Since the high-risk group for cervical cancer includes women between the ages of 30 and 60, screening programs are not as beneficial as they could be (1).

· A lack of information about the screening procedure, or fear of the results can also act as an impediment to regular screening check-ups (6).

What is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer is caused by a change in the cells that line the wall of the

cervix (the lower part of the womb which connects the uterus to the vagina,

or birth canal). These cells begin as normal, then gradually change to precancerous

cells, which appear as lesions on the cervical wall. The cells

may eventually become cancerous, however in over 50% of women

with pre-cancerous lesions, the cells remain benign (pre-cancerous).

Cervical cancer in its early stages often exhibits no symptoms, which is

why it is frequently not detected until it becomes severe (3).

The most common risk factor for cervical cancer is exposure to certain strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (3). HPV is a

sexually transmitted infection (STI), which may or may not be accompanied by symptoms. Because HPV is often asymptomatic, it can

go for long periods without being detected (4).

Other risk factors for cervical cancer include:

· Not having regular screening.

· Initiation of sexual relations at a young age.

· Having multiple sexual partners, or having sex with someone who has had multiple sexual partners.

· Being HIV positive, which weakens a woman’s immune system and makes her more vulnerable to infection with HPV.

· A family history of cervical cancer

· Age group – women aged 30-60 are most at risk and the risk also increases with age.

· Smoking

· Socio-economic status - because poor women have less access to screening and treatment services, their incidence and mortaliy

rates are much higher.

overview of cervical cancer

Across the Americas, lack of access to adequate screening and treatment

services means that one of the most easily preventable, detectable and

treatable forms of cancer has become a significant cause of mortality

among women, especially poor women.

Although the mortality rate for cervical cancer in North America has

declined over the last 10 years, it remains constant in the developing

countries of the Americas (1). This reflects the need for a new approach

to cervical cancer, one that emphasizes prevention and the positive

aspects of screening and early detection.

Gender is all too often a factor in a woman’s decision not to be screened

for cervical cancer. A gender-focused analysis of the situation is

necessary to fully understand the incidence of cervical cancer in the

Americas