| Lung cancer was a relatively rare disease at the | | | | risk increases with the number of cigarettes |
| beginning of the century, but is now the most | | | | smoked per day and the number of years the |
| common cancer in the world. Different factors | | | | person has smoked. The risk of lung cancer for |
| are suspected to be related to this disease, such | | | | non smokers who are exposed to smoke in the |
| as exposition to asbestos or to radon, or as food | | | | environment is as much as 35 percent higher than |
| or genetic factors. None of them, however, are | | | | that of those who are not. |
| as important as tobacco in the incidence and | | | | Signs and Symptoms |
| mortality of lung cancer. A considerable increase in | | | | In many cases, symptoms do not appear until the |
| tobacco consumption in industrialized countries | | | | cancer is at its peak stage. However, by the time |
| over the past century has been observed. | | | | a tumor does cause changes within the lungs. |
| Now it is the second most common cancer, | | | | Signs are: |
| accounting for about one out of six malignancies in | | | | · Coughing with blood in sputum; |
| men and one out of ten in women. And all the | | | | · Chest, arm or shoulder pain; |
| researches points to smoking as the cause. As | | | | · Loss of appetite; |
| one specialist in the field reports, "how long will it | | | | · Weight loss; |
| takes to get cancer depends on how many | | | | · Recurring pneumonia ; |
| cigarettes you smoke a day." However, studies | | | | · SOB (shortness of breath); |
| shows that quitting smoking does lower the risk. | | | | · Bone pain; |
| Lung cancers are mainly of two types: | | | | · Hoarseness; |
| small-cell-lung-cancer - also known as oat cell | | | | · Fatigue; |
| cancer, since it resembles oat grains and | | | | · Swelling of neck or face; |
| non-small-cell-lung-cancer. The aggressiveness of | | | | · Headaches. |
| the disease and treatment option, depend on the | | | | Early detection |
| type of cancer diagnosed. Many types of lung | | | | There are no routine screening tests for lung |
| cancer grow & spread very quickly and since | | | | cancer. Detection at an early stage is possible with |
| the lungs are vital organs, hence it is critically | | | | sputum analysis and some doctors order these |
| important to detect & treat the same - | | | | tests, especially for people who smoke. However |
| usually by surgery for removal of tumor. | | | | there is no evidence that such attempts at lung |
| Men between 55 and 65 years of age and | | | | cancer screening have a positive impact on |
| women of about 70 years are at a greater risk | | | | treatments. |
| of having lung cancer. Smokers have 11 to 18 | | | | Considering the observed trends in lung cancer |
| times greater risk of developing lung cancer than | | | | mortality, it is crucial for public health authorities |
| non-smokers. Women smokers have 5 to 15 | | | | and stakeholders to have a quantification of lung |
| times greater risk than non-smoking women. The | | | | cancer mortality in the years to come. |