Lung Cancer - Go Ahead and Smoke!

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cellular growth in tissues of the lungs. It is one of the most commonly occuring cancers in the United States, accounting for approximately 15 percent of all cases, or 170,000 new cases every year. It is also the leading cancer killer in America, taking more lives each year than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined, according to the American Cancer Society. In the US it is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women and is responsible for as many deaths as breast and all gynecological cancers combined.

SMOKING: Smoking, radon, and second hand smoke are the leading causes. Smoking causes an estimated 160,000* deaths in the US. Smoking leads to 85 percent to 90 percent of all lung cancers.

Smoking affects non-smokers by exposing them to second hand smoke. If a person stops smoking, this chance steadily decreases as damage to the lungs is repaired and contaminant particles are gradually removed.

RADON GAS: A colorless and odorless gas generated by the breakdown of radioactive radium, which in turn is the decay product of uranium, found in the earth's crust.

Radon leads the way as the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. It causes between 15,000 and 22,000 deaths each year in the United States -- 12 % of all lung cancer deaths are linked to radon.

RISK FACTORS: Include smoking cigarettes or cigars, today or in the past. Not all cases are cause by smoking, but the role of passive smoking is increasingly being recognized as a risk factor, leading to policy interventions to reduce undesired exposure of non-smokers to others' tobacco smoke.

A smoker who is also exposed to radon has a much higher risk. The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer. High levels of pollution, radiation and asbestos exposure may also increase that risk.

SYMPTOMS: May include Persistant cough, Hoarseness, Coughing up blood, Loss of Weight and Appetite, Shortness of breath, Fever without a known reason, Wheezing, Repeating bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia and Chest pain.

About 10% of people do not have symptoms at diagnosis; these cancers are incidentally found on routine chest x-rays. In fact, lung cancer can spread outside the lungs without causing any symptoms.

TREATMENT: Treatment is based on the cancer's specific cell type, how far it has spread, and the patient's performance status. Treatment also depends on the stage, or how advanced the cancer is.

Treatment options should be discussed with Your doctor. It may include chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. In the past few years, various molecular targeted therapies have been developed as treatments.

CONCLUSION: Lung cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in most western countries, and it is the leading cause of cancer deaths. It is the most common cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, accounting for nearly 33% of cancer deaths annually in the United States.

It has become the subject of a large amount of research. Even though the rate of men dying from it is decreasing in western countries, it is actually increasing for women because of the increased taking up of smoking by this group. It is already known that the best way to prevent it is to quit (or never begin) smoking. Three to five years after you quit, the risk of getting the disease is reduced by half.