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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, claiming more lives each year than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined.
World Lung Cancer Day, observed on August 1, aims to educate the public about the disease, share strategies to reduce risk and provide support to those impacted.
Lung cancer basics
Lung cancer forms in the tissues of the lungs, most often in the cells that line air passages. When abnormal cells grow and multiply, they form tumors that can interfere with lung function and make breathing difficult.
There are two main types of lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type, accounting for about 85% of cases. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is less common but more aggressive. It tends to grow and spread more quickly than NSCLC.
The importance of early detection
In many cases, especially with early-stage lung cancer, a tumor may not be detected until it becomes large. Symptoms to be alert for include:
• Coughing up blood or a cough that doesn’t go away
• Recurrent episodes of pneumonia or bronchitis
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• A high-pitched whistling-type sound when breathing in or out, or a hoarseness to your voice.
Because symptoms can be so vague, it’s essential to pay close attention to any warning signs and contact your health care provider right away if you experience any. The chances of surviving lung cancer with a high quality of life are three times greater when it is detected early.
If you are a current smoker, if you have ever been a heavy smoker (for longer than 15 to 20 years) or if you have a family history of the disease, regular screenings are critical. Through the use of low-dose spiral computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest, which are quick and painless, lung cancer can often be detected in earlier stages. Check with your primary care provider to see if you could benefit from a CT lung scan or similar screening test.
Quitting smoking at any age reduces the risk of developing lung cancer and other chronic diseases. It also improves overall health and quality of life. On a positive note, effective public health campaigns and smoking cessation programs are resulting in dramatic decreases in smoking and reducing the incidence of lung cancer.
Myths and facts about lung cancer
While smoking and other inhaled tobacco usage are major risk factors, many people think that only people who smoke can get lung cancer. This is one of several common misconceptions that deserve a closer look.
Myth: Only smokers get lung cancer.
Fact: Non-smokers can and do develop lung cancer.
Approximately 85% of all lung cancers occur in people who smoke or are exposed to second-hand smoke. The carcinogens in tobacco and tobacco products can potentially damage nearly every organ in the body, increasing the risk of many types of cancer.
Other risk factors include exposure to asbestos, nickel, arsenic, chromium or other similar chemicals, some petroleum products or living in an area with high levels of air pollution. While not hereditary, lung cancer can run in families. Researchers have found that non-smokers who develop lung cancer experience different and unique genetic changes than smokers do.
Myth: Only older people are diagnosed with lung cancer.
Fact: Lung cancer can occur when you are younger.
Most people diagnosed with lung cancer are older adults, with the average age at diagnosis typically around 70. While the risk increases with age, a small percentage of cases are diagnosed in people under 45 due to smoking and other lifestyle choices, environmental exposures or genetics.
Myth: Only men get lung cancer.
Fact: Lung cancer affects men and women.
While lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer deaths in men since the early 1950s, it has been the leading cause for women since 1987, surpassing deaths from breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the chance that a man will develop lung cancer in his lifetime is about 1 in 16; for a woman, the risk is about 1 in 17.
Myth: Lung cancer is a death sentence.
Fact: More people are surviving the disease than ever before.
Many treatment advances for lung cancer have occurred in the past decade. The development of targeted therapies and immunotherapies, which boost the body’s own immune system to fight cancer, are giving oncologists many more treatment options that are safer and more effective for patients.
Collectively, on this World Lung Cancer Day, it’s clear that significant strides continue to offer more hope and better outcomes for those affected by the disease.
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