Lung cancer is often times a terminal disease that's generally a byproduct of smoking. Being diagnosed with lung cancer can be devastating to anyone. This includes the pain and fear of the sick person as well as their friends and family.

It affects the small cells of the lungs and surrounding regions, which include the lymph nodes and surrounding organs.

Since smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, the best method of prevention is to quit smoking as soon as possible. However sometimes quitting isn't enough. Cancer can also be caused by second hand smoke. The good news is that in many states it is now illegal to smoke in public places. This greatly cuts down your chances of breathing in second hand smoke. But you should also be careful to limit any time you many spend with friends who are smokers.

Treatment options often include chemotherapy which isn't a very appealing option. Radiation is another possible treatment; however it's equally as unappealing. There are some alternative treatments available. These usually include hypnosis or "alternative" medication. It's important to research all of these completely, because sometimes they can cause more harm then good.

Many times the symptoms can be hard to recognize. However if they're not caught early, it can be too late to save the effected person. One of the earliest and most recognizable symptoms of lung cancer is coughing up blood. If this starts to happen you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. He'll be able to run test to see if there are any tumors present. The important thing is to catch these symptoms early before it's too late.