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LungCancerFactSheet.com is brought to you by AllNetHealth.com and is intended to provide basic information that you can use to make informed decisions about important health issues affecting you or your loved ones. We hope that you’ll find this information about Lung Cancer helpful and that you’ll seek professional medical advice to address any specific symptoms you might have related to this matter. In addition to this site, we have created the "Healthpedia Network" of sites to provide specific information on a wide variety of health topics.
What are the risk factors for lung cancer? How can I reduce the risk of lung cancer? What are the symptoms of lung cancer? What is the treatment for lung cancer? Where can I buy home test kits for contributing factors of this condition? More information on lung cancer
Lung cancers are cancers that begin in the lungs. Other types of cancers may spread to the lungs from other organs. However, these are not lung cancers because they did not start in the lungs. When cancer cells spread from one organ to another, they are called metastases.
What are the risk factors for lung cancer? (top) Research has found several risk factors for lung cancer. A "risk factor" is anything that changes risk of getting a disease. Different risk factors change risk by different amounts. The risk factors for lung cancer include the following: - Smoking and secondhand smoke Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. In fact, smoking tobacco is the major risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% of lung cancer deaths in women are due to smoking. People who smoke are 10 to 20 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. The longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day the more risk goes up. People who quit smoking have a lower risk of lung cancer than if they had continued to smoke, but their risk is higher than people who never smoked. As more people quit smoking, lung cancer rates will continue to fall, the percentage of lung cancers that occur in smokers will decrease, and the percentage of lung cancers that occur in people who have quit will rise. Smoking also causes cancer of the voice box (larynx), mouth and throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach. Using cigars or pipes also increases risk for lung cancer, but not as much as smoking cigarettes. - Things around the home or work (such as radon gas) There may be several things that can cause cancer (carcinogens) in the workplace or even in the home. For example, radon gas causes lung cancer and is sometimes found in people's homes. Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that comes from rocks and dirt and can get trapped in houses and buildings. Examples of substances found at some workplaces that increase risk include asbestos, arsenic, and some forms of silica and chromium. For many of these substances, risk of getting lung cancer is even higher for those who also smoke. Other substances may increase lung cancer risk as well. For more information on carcinogens and cancer in the workplace, visit the links below: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ToxFAQs™ National Toxicology Program's 11th Report on Carcinogens National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Risk of lung cancer may be higher if a person's parents, siblings (brother or sister), or children has had lung cancer. This increased risk could come from one or more things. They may share behaviors, like smoking. They may live in the same place where there are carcinogens, such as radon. They may have inherited increased risk in their genes. - Diet Scientists are studying many different foods to see how they may change the risk of getting lung cancer. However any effect diet may have on lung cancer risk is small compared with the risk from smoking. Eating a lot of fat and cholesterol might increase risk of lung cancer. Drinking a lot of alcohol may raise risk as well. However it's hard to tell how much of the risk in people who drink is actually due to tobacco smoke, since many people both smoke and drink. Some foods may actually help prevent lung cancer. Diets high in fruits and vegetables likely decrease cancer risk. Diets high in vitamin C, vitamin E, or selenium might also help protect against lung cancer. The effect of eating foods with Carotenoids, like beta-carotene, on lung cancer risk is currently uncertain. Carotenoids can be found in carrots, sweet potatoes, and some green vegetables. Eating these foods may lower chances of lung cancer. Taking beta-carotene supplements (pills) is not recommended however, since it may actually increase risk in some smokers.
How can I reduce the risk of lung cancer? (top) There may be several ways to reduce the risk of developing lung cancer • Don't Smoke • Avoid Secondhand Smoke • Make Your Home and Workplace Safer • Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables
Screening for lung cancer (top) Screening means testing for a disease when there are no symptoms or history of that disease. Doctors give a screening test to find a disease early on, when treatment may work better. Scientists have studied several types of screening tests for lung cancer. A review of these studies by experts shows that more information is needed (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations). It is not known if these tests can help prevent deaths from lung cancer. Examples of screening tests for lung cancer include the following: • chest x-rays • sputum cytology (looking for cancer cells in phlegm under a microscope) CAT scans of the lungs (CAT scans are detailed images of the inside of the body, made by a computer that combines x-ray images taken from different angles.) There is fair evidence that low-dose CAT scans, chest x-rays, and sputum cytology can find cancers earlier than they would be found without screening. There is little evidence that these screening tests actually prevent people from dying from lung cancer. Screening also has its downside. Screening tests may find spots (abnormalities) in the lungs that are not cancers. However, a screening test does not always show the difference between cancers and other abnormalities that are not cancers. More tests may be needed to find out if the spot is a cancer. These tests might include removing a small piece of lung tissue for more testing (biopsy). This means that some people might have a surgical procedure even though they don't have cancer. These procedures have risks associated with them. They also can cause anxiety and cost money. Experts do not know if the benefits of screening outweigh the potential harms. For these reasons, experts do not currently recommend for or against lung cancer screening. Screening for lung cancer with chest x-rays was once promoted by some experts, but researchers found out that people who were screened did not have a lower death rate than people who were not screened.
What are the symptoms of lung cancer? (top) Different people have different symptoms for lung cancer. Some people don't have any symptoms at all. About 25% of people with lung cancer do not have symptoms from advanced cancer when their lung cancer is found.43 Lung cancer symptoms may include: • shortness of breath • coughing that doesn't go away • wheezing • coughing up blood • chest pain • fever • weight loss
Other changes that can sometimes occur with lung cancer may include
repeated bouts of pneumonia, changes in the shape of the fingertips, and
swollen or enlarged lymph nodes (glands) in the upper chest and lower
neck.
How is lung cancer diagnosed? (top) A person’s lung cancer diagnosis depends on the type of lung cancer present. The two main types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell lung cancer. These categories refer to what the cancer cells look like under a microscope. The extent of disease is referred to as the stage. Information about how big a cancer is or how far it has spread is often used to determine the stage. Doctors use information about stage to plan treatment and to monitor progress.
What is the treatment for lung cancer? (top) There are several ways to treat lung cancer. The treatment depends on the type of lung cancer and how far it has spread. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. People with lung cancer often get more than one kind of treatment. Surgery Doctors cut out and remove cancer tissue in an operation. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs could be pills or medicines given through an IV (intravenous) tube. Sometimes chemotherapy includes both IV drugs and pills. Radiation Radiation uses high-energy rays (similar to x-rays) to try to kill the cancer cells. The rays are aimed at the part of the body where the cancer is. These treatments may be provided by different doctors on your medical team. Pulmonologists are doctors that are experts in diseases of the lungs. Surgeons are doctors that perform operations. Medical oncologists are doctors that are experts in cancer and treat cancers with medicines. Radiation oncologists are doctors that treat cancers with radiation.
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More information on lung cancer (top) For additional information on lung cancer, please visit: To find nearby treatment centers: 1-800-4-CANCER
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