Skip to main content

Lung Cancer: Not Just a Man's Killer

Lung cancer has long been associated as a killer of men but now it has passed breast cancer as the number one killing cancer of women. The American Cancer Society states that women are 1.5 times more likely to get lung cancer than men. Studies also show that African American women are more likely to get lung cancer than white women.

While smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer to smokers, secondhand smoke also causes lung cancer and coronary heart disease to nonsmokers. There are about 20% of the women diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked (American Cancer Society). Some factors besides secondhand smoke includes: exposure to radon or asbestos, inhaling toxic chemicals or minerals, or just being genetically predisposed to getting it. However, the upside is that nonsmokers do generally respond positively to the treatments given for their cancer.

Lung cancer is caused by certain cells in the body malfunctioning and dividing abnormally. These cells end up producing excessive tissue that turns into a tumor. There are non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Both types are treated differently.

So, how do you know if you may have lung cancer? Some signs include: labored breathing, wheezing, shortness of breath, excessive, persistent coughing, an increase in phlegm, a change in the phlegm's color or bloody phlegm, pain in the back, chest, or shoulder area, and swelling in the face and neck. If you have any of these signs, see a doctor immediately.

If you are a smoker, your chances of getting lung cancer are greatly reduced when you quit smoking. The American Cancer Society states that in the last 30 years, the cure rate for lung cancer has doubled.

While the stakes are higher for women smokers, quitting today will lower your chances of getting lung cancer. However, if you should still get lung cancer, quitting smoking would greatly increase your survival rate. Be aware of changes you can make in your lifestyle and environment to help keep yourself safe from this disease.

Popular posts from this blog

Lung cancer survival rate - Stage 2 lung cancer

When a person looks for a medical professional about the stage 2 lung cancer, one of the first questions that come to mind is: what is my lung cancer survival rate? This is largely influenced by the medical records showing that lung cancer is one of the lowest chances of survival of cancers in the world. One must realize that these statistics are only numbers and a variety of factors that can affect your chances of being cured. The lung cancer survival rate is affected by several variables. One such variable is age. Younger people tend to have a greater chance of survival for people over 50. This is due to the strong natural defenses younger than the older. Medical records also indicate that women with lung cancer in stage 2 have a greater ability to be cured of their male counterparts the parties. The spread of malignant tumor is a very important factor in determining the survival of lung cancer exchange rate. The tumors may spread from the lung tissu...

Analysis: Life saving lung cancer test to set off cost debate

By Bill Berkrot NEW YORK | Wed Jun 29, 2011 6:07pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - A landmark study showing that routine lung screening of heavy smokers and former smokers using low dose CT scans could save thousands of lives is sure to set off a fierce debate about the cost of such testing on an overburdened healthcare system. The U.S. National Cancer Institute studied more than 53,000 people between the ages of 55 and 74 deemed at high risk of developing lung cancer. It found that screening with the three-dimensional X-rays cut deaths by 20 percent. Details of the study and a discussion of its implications were published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, lending additional weight to initial findings that were released in November. The discussion noted that radiologists using more advanced CT equipment than was available for the study could lead to an even larger reduction in lung cancer deaths. At the same time, the potential for many more false positive results could ri...

What is Lung Cancer - Incidence, Signs, Symptoms, Causation, Prognosis and Treatment

INTRODUCTION Lung cancer may also be the most tragic cancer because in most cases, it might have been prevented, 87% of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Lung cancer has long been the most common cause of cancer death in men and since 1987 it has also become the most common cause of cancer death in women. Lung cancer is the second most commonly occurring form of cancer in most western countries and although the lung cancer incidence is less common in developing countries, the rapid increase in the popularity of smoking will see the number of lung cancer sufferers in those countries quickly catch up with the western world. Lung cancers can arise in any part of the lung, and 90%-95% of cancers of the lung are thought to arise from the epithelial, or lining cells of the larger and smaller airways (bronchi and bronchioles); for this reason, lung cancers are sometimes called bronchogenic carcinomas or bronchogenic cancers. The most common type of lung cancers are epidermoid carcinoma...