What is Lung Cancer?

Cancer begins in the lungs and spreads to other parts of the body. Although it is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women in the United States, it is also one of the most preventable types, which can be avoided by not smoking and avoiding other people’s secondhand smoke.

The disease almost always begins in the spongy, pinkish-grey walls of the lungs’ airways (bronchi or bronchioles) or air sacs (called alveoli).

There are over 20 different types of lung cancer. Non-small-cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer are the two most common types.

Lung Cancer (Non-Small Cell) (NSCLC)

The most common type of NSCLC is adenocarcinoma. It accounts for 40% of all lung cancer cases. It primarily affects people who smoke or used to smoke. It is also the most common type of lung cancer in nonsmokers.

It affects more women than men. People of this type are typically younger than those of other types.

Adenocarcinoma has the potential to spread to lymph nodes, bones, and other organs, such as the liver.

Squamous cell carcinoma typically begins in the lung’s largest branches, the central bronchi.

This type accounts for 30% of all lung cancers and is more common in men and smokers. It has the potential to create a cavity within the tumor. It frequently affects the larger airways. It may cause you to cough up blood.

Squamous cell carcinoma has the potential to spread to lymph nodes, bones, and other organs such as the liver.

Large-cell carcinomas are cancers with large cells that typically begin on the lungs’ outer edges. They are less common than adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, accounting for 10%-15% of lung cancers. This tumor grows more quickly and frequently spreads to nearby lymph nodes and distant body parts.

Lung Cancer of the Small Cell Type

This is the disease’s most aggressive form. It typically begins in the large central bronchi. Almost everyone who gets it is a smoker. It spreads quickly and frequently before symptoms appear. It often spreads to the liver, bone, and brain. Small-cell lung cancer accounts for 10%-15% of all lung cancers.

The prognosis of someone with lung cancer is determined by various factors, including the type of cancer, the patient’s overall health, and the stage of the disease when doctors discover it.

Lung Cancer Provokes

The most important reason is smoking. It is responsible for approximately 85% of all cases.

Quitting reduces your risk. Former smokers are still slightly more likely than nonsmokers to get it.

There are additional reasons. Some genetic flaws may make some people more vulnerable.

Secondhand tobacco smoke is also a contributing factor. People who live with a smoker are 20% to 30% more likely to develop lung cancer than those who live in a smoke-free environment. People who have received radiation therapy may also be at a higher risk.

Other chemicals are also dangerous. People who work with asbestos, are exposed to uranium dust, or are exposed to the radioactive gas radon are at a higher risk of developing lung cancer, especially if they smoke.

Tumors develop in lung tissue scarred by a disease or infection, such as scleroderma or tuberculosis. This is referred to as scar carcinoma by doctors. People with pulmonary fibrosis or HIV infection are also at a higher risk.

Some researchers believe that your diet may also impact your risk. But that still needs to be clarified.

Lung Cancer Signs and Symptoms

In the early stages, there are frequently no symptoms. Other red flags that can be associated with lung cancer include the following:

• Breathing difficulty
• Coughing that won’t stop
• Wheezing
• spitting up blood
• Chest ache
• Fever
• Weight loss with or without appetite loss
• Voice hoarse
• Pain or weakness in the shoulders or arms
• Having difficulty swallowing
• Unusual bone ache

If you have these symptoms, consult your doctor. Other explanations are possible.

Early Detection of Lung Cancer

When combined with other tests, a type of CT scan known as spiral or helical low-dose CT scanning has helped to detect the disease early in smokers and former smokers.

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends an annual CT scan for adults aged 55 to 80 who are heavy smokers or have quit smoking within the previous 15 years.

Treatments for Lung Cancer

Treatment is determined by the type of lung cancer and its stage.

If the disease hasn’t spread, doctors may be able to remove a tumor surgically. You may also be subjected to radiation or chemotherapy.

If your lung cancer has spread to other body parts, treatments are still available to control the disease and prevent further symptoms. Radiation and chemotherapy may be used to shrink tumors and control symptoms.

Depending on the type of tumor, your doctor may recommend newer treatments, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Pain management is also essential. Tell your doctor if you are in pain during your treatment.

If your doctor mentions “palliative care,” this includes making you as comfortable as possible, managing your pain, and improving your quality of life as much as possible. It is not the same as hospice care, which focuses on death preparation.

Take note of your emotions as well. It is challenging to deal with cancer. It’s normal to feel many strong emotions, including fear, anger, and sadness. Talking with a counselor or joining a support group can help you work through your feelings and face the many challenges of a cancer diagnosis.

Before recommending or combining treatments, your doctor will determine the stage of your lung cancer, a process known as staging. This usually involves getting a CT scan of the chest and abdomen, and possibly a PET scan. A bone scan, a CT or MRI scan of the brain, and other tests may be performed.

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What You Need to Know About Lung Cancer Symptoms?

In the early stages of lung cancer, there are usually no symptoms. When symptoms of the disease appear, they may include:

• Coughing that is chronic, hacking, and raspy, sometimes with blood in the mucus
• Alterations in a long-standing cough
• Recurrent respiratory infections, such as bronchitis or pneumonia
• Increasing shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Chronic chest pain
• Hoarseness
• Swelling of the neck and face
• Weakness and pain in the shoulder, arm, or hand
• Fatigue, weakness, weight loss, appetite loss, intermittent fever, severe headaches, and body pain
• Having difficulty swallowing

These issues are usually caused by blocked breathing passages or cancer spreading further into the lung, nearby areas, or other body parts.

When to Consult a Doctor

Consult your doctor for any lung disease symptoms, particularly an ongoing cough, blood-streaked mucus, wheezing, hoarseness, or a recurring lung infection. You’ll get a thorough examination, X-rays, and other tests.

If you have any of the following symptoms, go to the emergency room right away:

• Coughing up a lot of blood Slight shortness of breath
• Unexpected weakness
• Unexpected vision problems
• Pain in the chest that does not go away

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Treatment and Diagnosis of Lung Cancer?

If a physical exam reveals the following, your doctor may suspect lung cancer:

• Lymph nodes are swollen above your collarbone
• Your abdomen has a mass.
• Breathing problems
• Sounds in your abnormal lungs
• When your chest is tapped, you feel dull.
• Unequal students
• sagging eyelids
• One-arm weakness
• Veins that are enlarged in your arms, chest, or neck
• Swelling of the face

Some lung cancers cause abnormally high levels of certain hormones or substances in the blood, such as calcium. If your calcium levels are higher than usual and no other cause can be identified, your doctor may suspect lung cancer.

Lung cancer begins in the lungs and can spread to other body parts, including distant bones, the liver, the adrenal glands, and the brain. It may be discovered in a remote location, but it is still referred to as lung cancer if there is evidence that it began there.

When lung cancer begins to cause symptoms, an X-ray usually reveals it. On occasion, lung cancer that has not yet started to cause symptoms is discovered on a chest X-ray taken for another reason. Your doctor may order a chest CT scan for a more thorough examination.

A lung biopsy is usually used to confirm a lung cancer diagnosis. A thin, lighted tube is guided through your nose or mouth and down the air passages to the tumor, where a tiny tissue sample is removed. This is known as bronchoscopy and is frequently combined with end bronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided biopsy. This is beneficial for tumors located near the center of the lung.

If the biopsy reveals lung cancer, your doctor will conduct additional tests to determine the type of cancer and the extent to which it has spread. A procedure known as mediastinoscopy can test nearby lymph nodes for cancer cells, while imaging techniques such as CT scans, PET scans, bone scans, and either an MRI or a CT scan of the brain can detect cancer elsewhere in the body.

If the fluid is present in the area between the tissue layers lining the chest wall and lungs, removing the liquid with a needle (called a thoracentesis) may help diagnose cancer and improve breathing symptoms. If the fluid tests negative for cancer cells, which happens about 60% of the time, your doctor may perform a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (or VATS) to examine the lung lining for tumors and perform a biopsy.

Annual chest X-rays for lung cancer screening are not recommended because saliva, mucus, and chest X-rays have not proven particularly effective in detecting small tumors.

However, organizations such as the United States Preventative Services Task Force believe that low-dose helical CT screening should be offered to people at high risk of lung cancer. Smokers and former smokers aged 50 to 80 who have smoked for 20 pack-years or more and either continue to smoke or have quit within the last 15 years are included. A pack-year is defined as the number of cigarette packs smoked per day multiplied by the number of years smoked. You might not need the screening if you stopped smoking more than 15 years ago.

How to Cure for Lung cancer?

Lung cancer surgery

The type of lung cancer, the extent to which it has spread, and your overall health, mainly the function of your lungs, all influence the decision to perform surgery. Many people with lung cancer, particularly smokers, have other lung or heart issues that make surgery difficult. Cancer that had spread to lymph nodes between the lungs was previously thought to be incurable, but combining surgery with chemotherapy afterward has improved survival rates.

Non-small-cell lung cancer is best treated surgically. The tumor, as well as the surrounding lung tissue and lymph nodes, are removed by a surgeon. Sometimes an entire lung must be removed. You will be hospitalized for several days following surgery.

Lung cancer radiation treatment

Radiation therapy may be required to kill any remaining cancer cells, but it is typically postponed for at least a month while the surgical wound heals. Non-small-cell lung cancers that cannot be surgically treated are commonly treated with radiation therapy, usually in conjunction with chemotherapy.

Lung cancer chemotherapy and combination therapy

Small-cell lung cancer is typically treated with combination chemotherapy (using more than one drug), often combined with radiation therapy. Surgery is used on rare occasions, but only when the cancer is thought to be in its early stages. This is unusual.

Cancers that have metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body, are usually treated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Because metastatic lung cancer is complicated to treat, the primary goals of treatment are to provide comfort and extend life. Current medicines can cause tumors to shrink, which may alleviate pain and other symptoms.

Palliative care (care designed to relieve pain and other symptoms) is now recommended for patients with advanced lung cancer, in addition to cancer treatment. This has been shown to provide comfort and improve the outcome when chemotherapy is administered concurrently.

Recent evidence also suggests that chemotherapy can help prevent lung cancer recurrence in patients in the early stages of the disease.

Some lung cancer treatments

Researchers are always looking for better ways to treat lung cancer, alleviate symptoms, and improve quality of life. New chemotherapy combinations, new types of radiation, and the use of drugs that make cancer cells more sensitive to radiation are constantly being researched.

Early lung cancers that cannot be treated surgically have been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery and radiofrequency ablation. This type of therapy may also be used to treat recurring localized tumors.

Drugs that target a growth factor receptor (EGFR), such as afatinib (Gilotrif), amivantamab-vmiw (Rybrevant), dacomitinib (Vizimpro), erlotinib (Tarceva), mobocertinib (Exkivity), necitumumab (Portrazza) and osimertinib (Tagrisso) and the tumor blood supply, bevacizumab (Avastin) and ramucirumab (Cyramza), have shown significant activity in helping to control advanced lung cancer. Gefitinib (Iressa), a targeted therapy for tumors with specific EGFR mutations, has been approved to treat metastatic NSCLC.

Immunotherapy drugs that block a protein that prevents the body from fighting cancer include atezolizumab (Tecentriq), cemiplimab (Libtayo), durvalumab (Imfinzi), nivolumab (Opdivo), and pembrolizumab (Keytruda). These medications are administered via IV infusion every 2-3 weeks.

Alectinib (Alecensa), brigatinib (Alunbrig), certinib (Zykadia), crizotinib (Xalkori), and lorlatinib (Lorbrena) have been discovered to target a specific molecule, an ALK gene rearrangement, seen in some lung cancers. Dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist) target particular proteins in tumors with BRAF gene mutations.

Entrectinib (Rozlytrek) and larotrectinib (Vitrakvi) are drugs that target the neurotrophic tyrosine kinase (NTRK) gene, which is found in some tumors.

Adagrasib (Krazati) and sotorasib (Lumakras) treat adult patients with KRAS gene rearrangement.

Patients are now routinely tested to see if these drugs can effectively treat their type of lung cancer.

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Treatment for Lung Cancer?

Your doctors will tailor your lung cancer treatment to your specific needs. It will be determined in part by:

• What kind of disease do you have?
• Its current stage
• The extent to which your cancer has spread in your body The potential side effects of treatment
• Your age and general well-being
• Your preferences and objectives

Inquire with your doctor about the recommended treatment plan, including its benefits, side effects, and how you might feel during and after it.

Surgery

When cancer hasn’t gone too far in the body, this may be a possibility for treatment. In most cases, this is the most effective treatment option for non-small-cell lung cancer.

Your physician can remove the portion of the lung that contains the tumor and the tissue surrounding it. Maybe your whole lung may need to be removed. After the operation, you could need radiation treatment or chemotherapy.

After the procedure, you may need to remain in the hospital for around one week to recuperate before returning home. On the other hand, invasive operations are becoming more and more common. If you decide to go with one of them, you could have a minimal incision made in your chest. Your surgeon will remove tissue from the bin using a thoracoscope, a flexible tube used to inspect the trunk and remove tissue.

If you have small-cell lung cancer, probably, surgery won’t be able to remove the tumor altogether.

Ablation using radiofrequency waves

This therapy may be an alternative to surgery for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who cannot undergo surgery.

The physician inserts a small needle under your skin and directs it until it reaches the tumor inside your lung. After that, an electric current is sent through it, which causes the cancer cells to get heated and eventually die.

Bronchoscopy

Occasionally tumors may block your airways, making it difficult for you to breathe because of the obstruction. This may bring on the shortness of breath, which is a typical sign of lung cancer. A bronchoscope is a thin, flexible tube that often has a light at the end of it. Your doctor may use this device to treat you for this condition. Your doctor will include a laser in the procedure to remove any portions of the tumor that may obstruct your airway.

It may also be used to insert a stent, a tiny tube made of a rigid material, into your airway. This may help keep it open and make it easier to breathe.

Thoracentesis

Lung cancer can accumulate fluid in the space between the lungs and the chest cavity. This condition is referred to as pleural effusion and may also cause chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and coughing.

To cure this condition, your doctor may perform a technique known as thoracentesis, which drains the fluid from the chest cavity. A tiny incision is made between your ribs to insert a needle or tube into your chest. Upon the completion of the procedure, the line may be withdrawn. But, if you continue to have fluid accumulation, your doctor may decide to keep the tube in place for a more extended period.

Radiation

High-energy X-rays are directed toward a tumor via a machine used by doctors to eradicate it. It is effective in treating lung tumors of both non-small-cell and small-cell types.

The radiation treatments are administered for a few days over many weeks. You could receive it before surgery to reduce a tumor to make it simpler to remove, or you might get it after surgery to kill any cancer cells left behind. Either way, it will make the removal of the tumor easier. In some instances, chemotherapy is used in conjunction with the treatment.

Moreover, it may alleviate some of the symptoms of lung cancer, such as discomfort or bleeding, which the patient may experience.

Chemotherapy

These medications are effective in eliminating cancer cells from the body. It is a potential treatment for any lung cancer.

You may have chemotherapy before or after surgery in conjunction with radiation treatment. Nevertheless, if surgery is not an option for you, this might be the primary therapy you get.

Your oncologist may recommend a single chemotherapy agent or a combination of many distinct types. You will get them by inserting an intravenous line in a treatment facility or hospital. You may need many courses of therapy spread out over a few weeks.

Immunotherapy

It is a kind of therapy in which physicians use certain medications to assist the patient’s immune system in locating and eliminate cancer cells inside the body. Depending on the type of cancer you have, your doctor may recommend specific treatments for you to take.

The following are examples of drugs that are often used in immunotherapy:

• Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) (Tecentriq)
• Durvalumab (Imfinzi) (Imfinzi)
• Nivolumab (Opdivo) Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)

These medications will be administered to you via an IV by a medical professional. The therapy regimen’s duration might be between two and six weeks.

Although they are uncommon, immunotherapy patients might sometimes have severe responses or adverse effects. Notify your physician or a healthcare team member as soon as possible if you have any of the following symptoms: fever, chills, rash, dizziness, or difficulty breathing.

Alternative Therapies

Researchers are constantly seeking new and improved lung cancer treatments that will make patients feel better and allow them to live longer. New chemotherapy regimens, novel radiation treatments, and medications that make cancer cells more susceptible to radiation are among scientists’ research subjects.

The term “targeted therapy” refers to pharmaceuticals that attack certain aspects of cancer cells or tumors. Several of these appear to help suppress lung cancer that has spread. They are as follows:

• Afatinib (Gilotrif) (Gilotrif)
• Amivantamab-vmiw (Rybrevant) (Rybrevant)
• Alectinib (Alecensa) (Alecensa)
• Bevacizumab (Avastin) (Avastin)
• Brigatinib (Alunbrig) (Alunbrig)
• Ceritinib (Zykadia) (Zykadia)
• Crizotinib (Xalkori) (Xalkori)
• Dabrafenib (Tafinlar) (Tafinlar)
• Dacomitinib (Vizimpro) (Vizimpro)
• Erlotinib (Tarceva) (Tarceva)
• Gefitinib (Iressa) (Iressa)
• Lorlatinib (Lorbrena) (Lorbrena)
• Mobocertinib (Exkivity) (Exkivity)
• Necitumumab (Portrazza) (Portrazza)
• Osimertinib (Tagrisso) (Tagrisso)
• Ramucirumab ( Cyramza) ( Cyramza)
• Sotorasib (Lumakras) (Lumakras)
• Tepotinib (Tepmetko) (Tepmetko)
• Trametinib (Mekanist) (Mekanist)

Changes in the way of Living

If you are undergoing treatment for lung cancer, modifying certain aspects of your lifestyle may assist you in maintaining your health during the procedure. If you are a smoker, you should know that it is never too late to stop, and the positive effects of doing so are nearly instantaneous. It may assist you in controlling both your heart rate and blood pressure.

Helpful hints for giving up smoking:

• Could you not do it alone? Locate a group of people who can help you through this process.
• Manage your stress. It’s a prevalent factor that leads people to start smoking.
• Discover ways to satisfy your hunger without giving in to it. Nicotine may be delivered to your body through nasal sprays, patches, gum, lozenges, and inhalers.

Consume meals that are wholesome and well-balanced. Throughout treatment, eating nutritious meals may assist you in maintaining your strength and warding off infections. Talk to a nutritionist if you need help with how or where to begin your weight loss journey. They will work with you to design a diet tailored to your needs and preferences.

Treatments for lung cancer might leave you feeling exhausted and run down. Make an effort to maintain an active lifestyle by engaging in modest activities such as stretching and light walking. Because of this, throughout the procedure, both your mood and your strength will increase.

Assistance with Mental Health Issues

Treatment for lung cancer may harm both your physical and mental health. It is highly recommended that you seek help as you go through the process. Speak to your cancer care team members about the steps you may take to locate resources and assistance.

Establish communication with various lung cancer support organizations. This could be a good location for you to meet others going through something similar to what you are going through with your cancer experience and share your emotions about it.

A patient navigator can assist you with treatment alternatives, appointment scheduling, and medical insurance coverage.

A counselor is someone you may speak to about strategies to manage and deal with any emotions of stress, anxiety, or sadness that you may be experiencing.

Palliative Care

The treatments may harm your health, causing you to experience discomfort in addition to other symptoms. Palliative care is supportive care in which pain relief and overall quality of life are prioritized above curative treatment of the underlying illness. You can get this both during and after your treatment to alleviate any discomfort caused by the therapy itself.

It may be of assistance with the following:

• Pain
• Uneasy and shallow breaths
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Constipation
• A decreased desire to eat
• Issues in getting enough sleep
• Anxiety \sDepression

Every stage of lung cancer may benefit from receiving palliative treatment. Nonetheless, the sort of care that you get may shift based on the nature of your demands and the stage you are now in. Talk to your cancer care team members about your choices and how they could benefit you.

Aftercare at Home in the Event of Treatment

If you have just had surgery for lung cancer, your nurse or doctor will be able to instruct you on how to care for your surgical wound properly and provide information on the items that will facilitate your recovery.

Wearing loose clothing, protecting your chest from ultraviolet rays by staying out of the sun, using sunscreen, and using creams containing aloe vera or vitamin E may help reduce skin irritation caused by radiation treatment. If your physician has not permitted you to do so, you should not use any other skin creams. Also, avoid exposing your skin to hot and cold temperatures.

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Resources About Lung Cancer?

The following is a list of resources that can help you get started if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung cancer and you are looking for information or want to connect with other people who are also dealing with this. These resources include nonprofit organizations, blogs, and online communities.

Support groups are available, some of which meet in person and others virtually. Some are run by experts, while people in the same field direct others. Locate a community that caters to your specific needs, including educational updates, day-to-day life advice, or emotional support. The hospital or doctor in your area runs support groups or, at the very least, may put you in contact with someone who does.

When you utilize blogs or participate in online forums, it is crucial to remember that while they may give a personal viewpoint and information from individuals currently coping with lung cancer, this is not intended to be taken as medical advice. Moreover, ask yourself the following questions:

• Who designed and maintained this website? Is there anything that they are selling here?
• Are there assertions that are almost too wonderful to be true?
• Is the material up to date, has it been evaluated, and is it based on research conducted in the scientific community?

Organizations That Do Not Take Donations

Several non-profit organizations and government organizations make information on lung cancer available online.

American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer.html
This link goes to the society’s section on lung cancer.
American Lung Association: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer
This link goes to the association’s section on lung cancer.
Cancer.net’s section on non-small-cell lung cancer: https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer-non-small-cell and on small-cell lung cancer: https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/lung-cancer-small-cell

Oncologists, medical professionals who have devoted their careers to the treatment of cancer, make up the membership of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which is the parent organization of Cancer.net.

Lung Cancer Research Foundation:https://www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org/
Lung Cancer Foundation of America:https://lcfamerica.org/
Lungevity:https://lungevity.org/
National Cancer Institute’s section on lung cancer:https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung

Blogs

Blogs are an excellent resource for understanding how individuals manage their lives while coping with lung cancer. These first-person narratives have the potential to be illuminating and instructive. Just don’t consider them to be professional medical advice.

• LUNGevity: https://lungevity.org/news-blogs/blogs
• Gray Connections: https://grayconnections.net/
• GRACE: The Lung Cancer Blog: https://cancergrace.org/disease-learning/lung-cancer
• Emily Kicks Cancer: https://embenkickscancer.wordpress.com/
• GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer: https://go2foundation.org/blog/
• Lung Cancer Research Foundation: https://www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org/for-patients/patient-stories/

Digital Groups

The number of national and local organizations and advocacy groups focused on lung cancer that is active on social media is significant. These and other online groups may provide a plethora of helpful information and various options to assist one another. Explore these other options:

Reddit. This website will put you in touch with other people who are battling lung cancer. You may learn more from others who have had the same experiences as you by participating in various online forums. You can write about your achievements and difficulties and read posts written by other users.

https://www.reddit.com/r/lungcancer/

Facebook. Using this social networking platform, you may meet others who are going through the same things you are with lung cancer. You may be required to send a request to join some Facebook groups if they are private.

https://www.facebook.com/4LCSC/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1643271995958004/

Popular hashtags. Lung cancer, lung cancer awareness, lung cancer news, and the Lung Cancer Survivors’ Movement

It is essential to determine if the information you obtain on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and the like can be trusted. The information found online is often inaccurate. Check to verify that you have:

• Verify if the user behind the social media account is in fact the person they claim to be. Always check the organization’s website first before looking for its social media profiles elsewhere.
• Search for accounts that have been validated. The presence of a particular emblem on the profiles of major corporations helps verify that they are not spam accounts.
• Put yourself in the same position as you would for anything else that you read online and ask yourself the same questions about the quality of the content.