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Posts Tagged ‘Lung Cancer’

The last century has seen and increase in the number of smokers among men. Two decades later, women caught on to the smoking craze and became habitual smokers. Today, lung cancer claims nearly 150,000 lives each year; eighty percent of cases are directly attributed to cigarettes. Despite how deadly it is, the condition is largely avoidable. Learning some simple health facts can make all the difference in the world

While smoking is the leading cause of the disease, there are other, less prevalent causes. We will cover habitual smoking, secondary smoke and other harmful exposure elements that can cause lung cancer.

Habitual Smoking

Doctors measure the risk that a patient might develop lung cancer by considering two variables. They want the medical history of the smokers usage in regards to how many packs a day and how long the patient has been a smoker. The higher each number is, the more likely the disease will manifest. Despite what a lot of smokers believe, cigars and pipes also present a risk (albeit much lower).

Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals. Some of them, like nitrosamines, are known to be carcinogenic. Over time, those chemicals infiltrate and damage the cells in the bronchi, leading to the development of malignant tumors. The cancerous cells can eventually affect the heart, causing the right side to enlarge.

Secondary Smoke

Many people mistakenly believe that inhaling secondhand smoke does not represent a risk of developing lung cancer. In fact, it does. Thousands of people in the U.S. die each year from developing the disease after constant exposure to secondhand smoke. For example, patients who do not smoke cigarettes, but live with an habitual smoker are 24% more likely to suffer from the disease.

Exposure To Asbestos

Years ago, asbestos was used liberally within houses, apartments, and office buildings in order to insulate them. While it does provide effective insulation for the wall, the asbestos can damage the inner tissue of your lungs. With long exposure, the effects can lead to the deadly cancerous disease. Further, asbestos significantly increases the likelihood of a smoker developing the disease. For example, a non-smoker who works with the material is 5 times more likely to be affected than someone who does not work with it. By contrast, a smoker who works with asbestos is up to 90 times more likely.

Other Risk Factors

There are other risk factors besides those mentioned above. For example, people who are exposed to radon gas, arsenic, nickel, and chloromethyl ethers on a regular basis run the risk of developing lung cancer. Genetics are also factored in and play a significant role. A person is more likely to have the disease if an immediate family member has also been diagnosed in the past.

Once diagnosed, a doctor will recommend a number of possible treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery. If diagnosed in time, it is possible a treatment may be successful, leading to a longer and healthier life.