World Lung Cancer Day
August 1st is World Lung Cancer Day. While many people still associate lung cancer with smoking, there are a number of different variables and reasons why someone may end up diagnosed with lung cancer. Which is why disease awareness and proper screenings are so vital to early detection. “While lung cancer and breast cancer are diagnosed at the same rate (11.6 percent), lung cancer kills more people yearly than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer mortality is projected to reach 2.45 million by 2030, a 39 percent increase in just over a decade.”
Although 80% of people diagnosed with lung cancer do have a history of smoking, environmental and genetic factors play a part in risk factors as well. I don’t think there are any statistics regarding smoking and its correlation to cancer that I can type to convince anyone to quit smoking. We’ve all heard the numbers and seen the commercials: smoking isn’t good for anyone. “People who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke.” Of the more than 7,000 chemicals founding tobacco smoke, at least 70 of them have been found to cause cancers in people. In addition to smoking, radon, asbestos, arsenic, beryllium and uranium have all been linked to lung cancer as well. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and because humans can’t see, smell or taste radon gas, many people aren’t even aware that they’re being exposed to it. Home testing kits can be purchased at many local hardware stores, and are simple and inexpensive. Within a few days, you’ll be able to know if the levels of radon in your home are outside the average/acceptable norm. Family history, radiation exposure to the chest area and lung diseases (such as COPD) all contribute to lung cancer cases as well.
If you find yourself noticing a change in mucus, chest/back pain, difficulty swallowing or coughing up blood, make an appointment to get checked out as soon as possible. Lung cancer can be detected by different types of scans and/or biopsies that are available at most hospitals, and even within some doctor’s offices. To read more information and find different resources regarding lung cancer, you can visit the CDC’s website here.
Lung cancer is responsible for 1 in 5 cancer deaths. Those numbers are scary. But many cases are treatable if found early, so due your diligence and get checked out if you think there may be a reason to do so.
Be well!