Category: Health Services

What is Lung Cancer - Symptoms and Early Signs of Lung Cancer Lungs are made up of two spongy organs that sit in the middle of your chest–the right lung, and the left lung. Each lung has sections called lobes, with different structures. The right lung is divided into three lobes, and your left lung has two lobes. Even though the right lung is larger than the left, your heart takes up a lot of room on the left side of your body, so your left lung is smaller to make room for it. Lobes are made of tubes, called bronchi. Glands in the lungs make a clear liquid, called secretions, which keep the passages between air sacs free of germs, dust and other particles. This liquid drains into the windpipe (trachea) and is breathed out of the body along with carbon dioxide when we exhale. Lung cancer starts in any part of the lungs or in the lymph nodes near the lungs. Along with transferring oxygen and carbon dioxide, the lungs help defend the body from infection. Tiny white blood cells that fight infection are pumped around your body by the heart through tiny vessels called capillaries. The lung tissue surrounding each capillary is part of a larger structure known as a lobe. Lung cancer begins in lung tissue when a healthy cell is changed in a way that makes it grow uncontrollably. As these cancer cells multiply, they form tumours, which can get bigger and spread to other parts of the body. In fact, lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in both men and women, no matter their race or ethnic background.