Facts About Lung Cancer

While the facts about lung cancer and its high mortality rate are sobering, there are also many methods of combating this disease that can give lung cancer patients hope.

Lung Cancer Basics
The number-one fact that should be noted is that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. More men than women are diagnosed with lung cancer or die from lung cancer.

The reasons why more men than women die from cancer may be surprising. In one study, it was determined that men were more reluctant to see a physician when they felt ill. Because they put it off for so long, when they finally did see their physician the disease had already progressed significantly. Another study noted that though carrying weight around the middle of the body, excessive alcohol consumption and following a poor diet are all considered contributors to cancer, based on the answers men gave, it was determined that most men were not well informed about this information.

Lung cancer is extremely serious and is fatal in roughly three quarters of all patients. Several factors come into play once you have been diagnosed, including your body's makeup, your family medical history, what type of lung cancer you are diagnosed with, whether you smoke and how much you smoke per day, how deeply you inhale and whether you were exposed to asbestos. The cancer's stage and level of advancement when it is first detected also have a major role in your prognosis.

Things to Know About Lung Cancer

• Smoking can cause lung cancer. It doesn't matter if you smoke cigarettes, cigars or marijuana, or if you prefer to smoke tobacco in a pipe. Lung cancer can also appear in nonsmokers who were exposed to secondhand smoke on a regular basis. If you smoke, you are putting yourself at risk. The best way to avoid developing invasive small cell lung cancer is to quit smoking. The best way to protect children and nonsmokers from a higher risk of lung cancer is to keep them away from secondhand smoke.
• Asbestos can cause mesothelioma lung cancer, which is cancer of the lining of the lungs. Asbestos is a natural mineral. Because it is fireproof, absorbs sound and works well as an electrical insulator, it was used heavily until the 1980s as insulation for boilers and hot-water pipes, as well as in ceiling and floor tiles and in the coatings on electrical wires. When microscopic asbestos fibers get into the air, they are easily breathed into the lungs, where they get lodged. Cancer caused by asbestos generally takes a very long time to manifest.