Lung Cancer Awareness – Know How This Could Help You

Lung Cancer Awareness – Know How This Could Help You

Lung cancer awareness does not always come so easily. Symptoms can take as long as 10 to 40 years from the time one cell becomes cancerous until it is large enough to be diagnosed or produce symptoms.

This is why people with a lung tumor often do not develop symptoms until the cancer has reached an advanced stage.

Only about 10% of all patients are eventually cured since most this cancer are diagnosed at a relatively late stage. There is a 50% chance of death in less than a year if the person with lung cancer cannot be cured by surgery at the time the cancer is found.

Who’s at Risk?

There are several risk factors, which can make you more likely to develop cancer in lungs. Different types of cancers have different risk factors. Even though there are several causes, researchers have found most of them are related to smoking.

Risk factors for small cell lung cancer include: Smoking cigarettes. This is the most well-known cause of lung cancer. This includes the smoking of cigarettes, cigars, or pipes in the past; Exposure to second hand smoke; Exposure to asbestos or radon.

Up to 90% of patients are or have been smokers. Many of the 10% left have been exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke. Carcinogens in tobacco are dangerous substances that damage the cells in the lungs. These damaged cells can then become cancerous. The damaged cells in the lung tissue gradually return to normal if a person stops smoking before a cancer starts to develop.

The probability of a smoker developing cancer is difficult to predict, but in general developing cancer depends on: The age they began smoking; How long they have smoked; How many cigarettes per day they smoke.

Cigars and Pipes

Several factors also have to be taken into consideration as cigar and pipe smokers have a higher risk of cancer in lungs than non-smokers: The number of years someone smokes; The number of pipes or cigars they smoked per day; How deeply they inhaled. Even cigar and pipe smokers who don’t inhale are at increased risk for lung, mouth, and other types of malignancy as well as the risk of developing lung cancer.

Marijuana

Marijuana contains more tar than cigarettes. In addition, Marijuana is inhaled very deeply and the smoke is held in the lungs for a long time. Many of the cancer-causing substances in tobacco are also found in marijuana.

A person who has had this cancer once is more liable to develop a second lung cancer than a person who has never had the disease. Stopping smoking after lung cancer has been diagnosed helps prevent the development of a new lung cancer.

Gender

A gene called GRPR causes unusual cell growth in people exposed to cigarette smoke. This gene is more active in women than in men. This may explain why females are more prone to cancer in lungs than men.

Diet

Some evidence shows fruit and vegetables may protect against lung cancer. Research has shown a diet low in fruit and vegetables may increase the chances of developing cancer if exposed to tobacco smoke.

Disease

Certain lung diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB) can increase a person’s chance of developing lung cancer. Lungs scarred from TB seem to develop adenocarcinoma lung cancer.

Some More Facts about Lung Cancer: Lung cancer kills more people than any other form of cancer. Only 10% of all patients are eventually cured as most cancer in lungs is diagnosed at a relatively late stage. Eight out of ten cancers in lungs are due to tobacco smoke. The American Cancer Society estimates 164,000 new cases of this cancer are diagnosed yearly in the United States and an approximate 157,000 people die from the disease each year. This is a good reason to keep up with cancer awareness.