CANCER

WHAT IS LUNG CANCER?

Cancer is a disease with growth of cells that are not normal and they crowd out and destroy healthy tissue. Lung cancer is the most common cancer-related cause of death among men and women. It is the second most commonly occurring cancer among men and women. It has been estimated that there will be 169,500 new cases of lung cancer in the U.S. in 2001 alone. It is possible for cancer cells that begin in other organs to spread to the lungs.

WHAT CAUSES LUNG CANCER?

Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. It is thought that more than 80% of lung cancers result from smoking. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 different chemicals. Many of these chemicals are proven to cause cancer.

Many of these chemicals also affect the nonsmoker breathing in "secondhand" or sidestream smoke,* making "passive smoking" another cause of lung cancer.

If you smoke, you are much more likely to develop the disease; men who smoke are 22 times more likely to develop lung cancer, while women who smoke are 12 times more likely to develop lung cancer.

The more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the greater your chance of having lung cancer. But if you stop smoking, the chances of having lung cancer decreases every year as abnormal cells are replaced by normal cells.

In addition, quitting smoking decreases your chances of developing diseases caused from smoking, like, heart disease and stroke, and emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Radon, by its own action and by its action with cigarette smoking, is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. today. Radon is a gas that is found in the earth's rock and soil and is formed by the natural breakdown of radium, which is a product of decaying uranium. It is estimated that 15,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer caused by radon.

Radon problems have been identified in every state. It is estimated that nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. has indoor radon levels at or above the recommended level. Radon can be a problem in schools and workplaces, too.

Because radon cannot be seen and it does not have any odor or smell to it, the only way to find out if you are being exposed to the gas is by checking the radon levels.

Another leading cause of lung cancer is on-the-job exposure to asbestos, uranium, arsenic, certain petroleum products, and others.

There are many types of jobs that may put you increase your chances for cancer causing situations. Some examples are working with certain types of insulation, working with coke ovens, and repairing brakes.

WHO GETS LUNG CANCER?

Lung cancer occurs most often in people over fifty who have been smoking cigarettes for a long time. The incidence of lung cancer in women as a whole has climbed at an alarming rate, and these increases are related to the increases in the number of women who have smoked. In 1987, lung cancer, was higher than breast cancer for the first time as the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.

It has been estimated that there will be 169,500 new cases of lung cancer in the U.S. in 2001; 90,700 among men and 78,800 among women. The lung cancer rates for both black and white males decreases between 1984 and 1998, the rate in black males is almost 48 percent higher than the rate in white males.

The rates in both black and white women has risen. Between 1984 and 1998, the rates have increased 25 percent overall, 28.7 percent in white women and 20.7 percent in black women.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF LUNG CANCER?

In the early stages and even later, lung cancer is usually silent. When symptoms appear, the cancer is often advanced. Symptoms of lung cancer include:

• Constant cough

• Hoarseness

• Coughing up blood or rusty-colored sputum

• Weight loss & loss of appetite

• Shortness of breath

• Fever without a known reason

• Wheezing

• Infections such as bronchitis & pneumonia that keep coming back

• Chest pain

These conditions are also the same for many other lung problems; so, when they occur, they need to be checked by your doctor. Don't wait.

HOW IS LUNG CANCER DETECTED?

When a person goes for an examination, his or her doctor will gather information and examine you. If you are coughing up sputum, the sputum may be examined for cancer cells.

The doctor will order a chest X-ray or specialized X-ray such as the CAT scan, which help to locate any abnormal spots in the lungs. The doctor may do a bronchoscopy to look inside the tubes of your lungs (A bronchoscope is a small tube inserted through the nose or mouth, down the throat, into the bronchial tubes.). During this procedure the doctor may also do a biopsy or get sample of lung tissue and cells to examine under a microscope to determine if cancer is present.

HOW IS LUNG CANCER TREATED?

1. Surgery may cure lung cancer. It is used in limited stages of the disease.

Radiation therapy is a form of high energy X-rays.

It is used:

• In combination with chemotherapy (medication) and sometimes with surgery

• To offer relief from pain or for the relief of blockage of the airways

2. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that are effective against cancer cells.

• In combination with surgery

• In more advanced stages of the disease

• In all stages of small cell carcinoma

In addition, discoveries in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer are being made.

HOW CAN LUNG CANCER BE PREVENTED?

• If you are a smoker, STOP SMOKING. Your local American Lung Association has books, videos, and group programs to help you quit for good.
• If you are a nonsmoker, make sure that your rights to a smoke-free environment are upheld.
• Strive for a smoke-free environment both at home and at work.
• Test your home for radon if you live in an area known to have high levels.
• Ask questions about your work area if you are exposed to industrial dusts and fumes.
• Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in the United States and until there is a cure, the only way to defeat lung cancer is to prevent it from ever happening.

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE?

Ask Your Doctor.

Your local American Lung Association.

By dialing 1-800-4-CANCER

Related links on the Web:

Alliance for Lung Cancer

American Cancer Society

American Cancer Institute

American Medical Association