Lung Cancer Awareness – Learn Causes, Signs & Symptoms

Following are the Lung Cancer Awareness – Learn Causes, Signs & Symptoms etc.

• Lung cancer is the prime cause of deaths in both men and women globally.
• Cigarette smoking is the most significant cause for the advancement of lung cancer.
• Passive smoking also can cause lung cancer.
• There are two types of lung cancer, small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) which grow and spread differently.

• Bone pain
• Chest pain
• Swelling of the face, arms or neck
• Headaches, dizziness or limbs that become weak or numb
• Jaundice
• Lumps in the neck or collar bone region

How common is lung cancer?

Lung cancer is a disease mostly found in elderly; almost 70% of people diagnosed with lung cancer are over 65 years of age, while less than 3% of lung cancers occur in people under 45 years of age. The median age at diagnosis is 70 years. Lung Cancer awareness is more important in the elderly.

Causes for Lung Cancer

Smoking: The rate of lung disease is vigorously connected with cigarette smoking, with around 90% of lung cancer emerging because of using tobacco. Lung Cancer aAwareness is much more important in chain-smokers.

Passive smoking: Passive smoking or the inhalation of tobacco smoke by non-smokers, who share living or working quarters with smokers, also is an established risk factor for the development of lung cancer. Research has shown that nonsmokers who reside with a smoker have a 24% increase in risk for developing lung cancer when compared with nonsmokers who do not reside with a smoker.

Exposure to asbestos fibers: Asbestos fibers are silicate fibers that can persist for a lifetime in lung tissue following exposure to asbestos. The workplace was a common source of exposure to asbestos fibers, as asbestos was widely used in the past as both thermal and acoustic insulation.

Exposure to radon gas: Radon gas is a natural radioactive gas that is a natural decay product of uranium that emits a type of ionizing radiation. Radon gas is a known cause of lung cancer, with an estimated 12% of lung-cancer deaths attributable to radon gas.

Familial predisposition: While the majority of lung cancers are associated with tobacco smoking, the fact that not all smokers eventually develop lung cancer suggests that other factors, such as individual genetic susceptibility, may play a role in the causation of lung cancer. Numerous studies have shown that lung cancer is more likely to occur in both smoking and nonsmoking relatives of those who have had lung cancer than in the general population.

Lung diseases: The presence of certain diseases of the lung like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of the lung) is associated with an increased risk for the development of lung cancer even after the effects of concomitant cigarette smoking are excluded.

Prior history of lung cancer: Survivors of lung cancer have a greater risk of developing a second lung cancer than the general population has of developing a first lung cancer. Survivors of non-small cell lung cancers have an additive risk of 1%-2% per year for developing a second lung cancer. In survivors of small cell lung cancers, the risk for development of second lung cancers approaches 6% per year.

Air pollution: Air pollution from vehicles, industry, and power plants can raise the likelihood of developing lung cancer in exposed individuals. Up to 1%-2% of lung cancer deaths are attributable to breathing polluted air, and experts believe that prolonged exposure to highly polluted air can carry a risk for the development of lung cancer similar to that of passive smoking.

Exposure to diesel exhaust: Exhaust from diesel engines is made up of gases and soot. Many occupations, such as truck drivers, toll booth workers, forklift and other heavy machinery operators, railroad and dock workers, miners, garage workers and mechanics are frequently exposed to diesel exhaust. Lung cancer awareness in those people is important. Studies of workers exposed to diesel exhaust have shown a small but significant increase in the risk of developing lung cancer.

Signs and symptoms of lung cancer

The symptoms do not necessarily mean cancer, but don’t ignore if they persist for longer time.

• Coughing
• Coughing up blood
• Shortness of Breath
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Recurring infections

• Bone pain
• Chest pain
• Swelling of the face, arms or neck
• Headaches, dizziness or limbs that become weak or numb
• Jaundice
• Lumps in the neck or collar bone region

Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Your doctor may suspect lung cancer if a routine physical exam reveals:

• Swollen lymph nodes above the collarbone
• Weak breathing
• Abnormal sounds in the lungs
• Dullness when the chest is tapped
• Unequal pupils
• Droopy eyelids
• Weakness in one arm
• Expanded veins in the arms, chest, or neck
• Swelling of the face