According to the American Lung Association and the Complete Home Guide to Symptoms and Remedies from Johns Hopkins, lung cancer tops the list as the cause of most cancer deaths. Lung cancer surpassed even breast cancer deaths in women. Although 90 percent of lung cancer results from smoking, other environmental factors such as long-term exposure to asbestos or uranium also cause lung cancer.
Death Toll
If you combine the number of deaths from colon, breast and prostate cancers, lung cancer still carries a higher death toll.
Elderly Statistics
Lung cancer affects more of the elderly population possibly due to more years spent living in damaging environments, working in dangerous occupations or from smoking.
Difficult to Treat
Lung cancer usually begins as a small-cell carcinoma--the most difficult to treat--and often diagnosis comes only after it spreads to other organs. Lung cancer patients frequently believed they had nothing more than a bad and chronic cold or severe allergy that compromised their ability to breathe.
Gender Bias
Lung cancer occurs in men more than women; and in African Americans males more than Caucasian males. Education and living standards may play a part in this statistic from the American Lung Association.
Non-smokers Not Immune
Non-smokers have a greater chance of developing lung cancer if exposed to second-hand smoke at home or work. Environmental factors ripe for causing lung cancer in workers will still cause less cancer in non-smokers than smokers will.
Radon Exposure
Approximately 10% of all lung cancer results from exposure to radon. Radon detection devices, available at most hardware stores, eliminate the possibility of lung cancer development from radon through early detection of a problem in the home.
Worldwide Problem
Lung cancer dominates the world as the number one cancer suffered by every population, according to the American Lung Association.
Surgical Cure
Survivors of lung cancer count themselves as lucky, although part of a lung or perhaps an entire lung has been removed. Surgical removal of the offending part of the lung or an entire lung saves lives. Radiation therapy supports the post-operative care as well as chemotherapy in the case of extensive disease.
High Cost
The American Lung Association reports NIH annual estimates in 2009, cancer costs reached approximately $219 billion; $9.6 billion of which relates to lung cancer.
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis weakens the ability of the lungs to fight off illness and infection. As the aveoli weaken from impaired gas exchange, cells may die off or mutate opening up the possibility of invasion by cancer cells. A cause and effect relationship exists between chronic bronchitis and lung cancer according to "Complete Home Guide to Symptoms and Remedies."
References
- American Lung Association
- "Complete Home Guide to Symptoms and Remedies"; Johns Hopkins; 2004
