Lung Cancer Death – The Statistics You’ll Want To See
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), over 150,000 Americans die annually from cancer of the lungs. The World Health Organization (WHO) places the world-wide annual lung cancer death number at 1.3 million people. It is a disease known by virtually every nation.
There are some threads when you look at the pattern surrounding lung cancer death. Eighty five percent of lung carcinoma patients are smokers, and 10% of smokers can expect this diagnosis. Patients who have never smoked generally have a specific genetic predisposition for the disease, or have been exposed to a secondary risk factor such as asbestos, coal-oven emissions, arsenic, chloromethyl ethers and other environmental pollutants.
The core approach to reducing lung cancer death rates is to start by reducing the number of people who smoke. From no-cost smoking cessation programs, to active early-education programs, to financial incentives as part of life and health insurance premiums, every successful tool for reducing the overall number of smokers in a given population lowers death rates due to this cancer.
This is important because this particular cancer causes very expensive, debilitating final days for its victims. Left untreated, most patients live only a few months past diagnoses. Breathing becomes more difficult, and the cancer tends to spread to areas such as the brain, which may cause seizures and debilitating headaches. Secondary cancers also commonly spreads to the liver, impairing its function and poisoning the body from within.
Cancer of the lungs is often not discovered until Stage 3 or Stage 4, when it has already metastasized and spread to other parts of the body. This leaves expensive and side-effect wrought chemotherapy as the only conceivable treatment. Chemotherapy, while moderately successful in extending the life of lung and other cancer patients tends to be incredibly hard on the body.
Chemotherapy for cancer of the lungs is also incredibly expensive, even with health insurance coverage, leaving the patients family with high medical bills in addition to funeral costs. Worse yet, some of the side effects from chemotherapy are fatal, leaving families feeling like they killed their loved one by encouraging them to accept a treatment plan.
Muhammad Aqib