Lung Cancer Medication: Carboplatin

The lungs are the primary organ in respiration. They are sponge-like organs that are divided into lobes. Although the right lung has three lobes, the left lung has only two lobes due to the position of the heart, which is toward the left side of the body. During respiration, air travels through the nose, down the trachea or windpipe, and into the bronchus. The bronchus branches into narrower bronchioles and then into smaller and smaller airways ending in air sacs called alveoli. It is at the alveoli that oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide. Most cancerous changes occur in the lungs long before any symptoms are present. There are many types of lung cancer, but the most common lung cancer is bronchogenic carcinoma, which begins as a tumor in the lining of the bronchi. Lung cancer can also be present in the trachea, the bronchioles, or the alveoli. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women, but the most alarming news is that more women will die from lung cancer than will die from breast cancer. Cigarette smoking poses the greatest risk for developing lung cancer. The lymphatic system provides the perfect harbor for cancers to travel throughout the body. This is called metastasis. Using diagnostic images, like CT scans or MRI, your doctor can scan your body to see if cancer has metastasized. This means cancer has spread to other parts of your body and is beginning to replicate there. One of the most important parts of a cell is the DNA contained in the nucleus. DNA makes up the cellular instructions for life and heredity; the entire genetic code is written into these double helix molecules. When cells in the body replicate, they first create a second copy of their DNA so that when they divide, both new cells have a full set of DNA. Healthy cells only replicate as needed. Cancer cells, however, do not stop dividing on their own. They grow into masses without any limit or control. These masses of abnormal cells can become malignant tumors. Some drugs, like carboplatin, target the growth of cancer cells by binding to the strands of DNA. When the drug forms this bond with the DNA, the DNA can become misshapen so that the cell can no longer read the code. If the cell cannot read the genetic instructions to live, it will die instead of growing. This can stop spread of cancer by reducing the metastatic growth in your body. Your doctor will be able to scan your body to see the improvement.