| Incidence of lung cancer deaths in women grew | | | | - Headache, aching joints, bone pain. |
| one hundred and fifty percent during a period of | | | | - A wobbly gait and other neurologic signs such as |
| time from 1974 until 1994. During the same time | | | | memory loss. |
| period there was an increase of merely twenty | | | | - Bone breakage not related to an accident. |
| percent in men. This disease is responsible for | | | | Detecting lung cancer early can result in life and |
| more deaths in women than breast cancer. It is | | | | death for someone suffering with this disease. If |
| reported that half of all new cases of this illness | | | | it is found early while it is affecting only the lungs |
| are women. | | | | (or remaining localized) the five year survival rate |
| It can take several years for the warning signs | | | | is nearly fifty percent. |
| and symptoms of lung cancer to arise. This may | | | | There are also symptoms and signs that can be |
| lead to the disease not being diagnosed until it is in | | | | caused by the spread of lung cancer to other |
| an advance stage. Symptoms that can arise may | | | | parts of one's body. These signs may include: |
| include: | | | | - Bleeding. |
| - Back, shoulder, or chest pain that is relentless | | | | - Bone breakage. |
| and unrelated to pain that can occur from | | | | - Blood clots. |
| coughing. | | | | - Headache. |
| - Out of breath. | | | | - Physical weakness. |
| - Intense, unrelenting smoker's cough. | | | | More research is needed to understand why the |
| - Persistent nonsmoker's cough that lasts longer | | | | number or women dying from lung cancer is |
| than two weeks. | | | | increasing. Women are one and a half times more |
| - Occurrences of bronchitis or pneumonia that | | | | at risk for the disease than men. Women are |
| keep coming back. | | | | smoking fewer cigarettes and they inhale less of |
| - Change in color of sputum (mucus or phlegm | | | | the cigarettes that they do smoke but risks of |
| mixed with saliva). | | | | the illness are still higher for them. Scientists |
| - Finding blood in sputum. | | | | suppose this could be genetically linked. |
| Other late stage lung cancer related signs or | | | | Early detection may save a woman's life. Those |
| symptoms may be: | | | | experiencing these symptoms or signs should |
| - Loss of desire for food. | | | | consult their physician as soon as possible. |
| - Weight loss that cannot be explained. | | | | Smoking cigarettes is viewed as the main reason |
| - Low energy. | | | | for eighty percent of the lung cancer deaths in |
| - Swelling in the neck and face. | | | | women. |