Cancer

Lung Cancer

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Incidence in non-smokers

If smoking causes 87% of lung cancer, what causes the other 13%? Nearly nine out of ten non-smoking Americans are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (also known as "second-hand" smoke), as measured by levels of nicotine in their blood. There is evidence that exposure to second-hand smoke in the home, usually from a smoking spouse, may increase the risk of lung cancer in non-smoking women. The best scientific studies show that restrictions on second-hand smoke reduce the risk of death and injury to non-smokers, including the hundreds of thousands of children with asthma and other respiratory illness. The FDA has classified second-hand smoke as a Group A carcinogen (known to cause cancer in humans.) Studies have also evaluated second-hand tobacco smoke exposure outside the home, either in work or social settings, but they provide inconclusive results. More studies are needed to determine how much exposure might be harmful in these settings.

Current treatment for lung cancer

The best way to avoid death from lung cancer is never to smoke, or to stop smoking. Once diagnosed, there are several treatment options for lung cancer including radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. Small cell lung cancer is the most aggressive of lung cancers, and many patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Small cell lung cancer is responsive to both chemotherapy and radiation, however, small cell lung cancer is still very difficult to treat and nearly all of these patients eventually relapse and need additional treatment. Survival rates have improved for non-small cell lung cancer because of advances in combination radiation/chemotherapy treatment. There is a clear need for more effective treatments for lung cancer. There are constant new advances in molecular medicine, which have recently led to new drugs that can protect normal cells from being destroyed from chemotherapy. Early detection remains the key to successful therapy. If you have a history of chronic coughing, coughing up blood, chest pain or fever you should have an evaluation by your physician as soon as possible.

Risk for female smokers

Lung cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. Cigarette smoking is the main culprit and responsible for 80% of these cancer deaths. Lung cancer has always been and continues to be more common in men than women but the difference is declining. Unfortunately, statistics show that smoking rates among women are expected to surpass those among men by the year 2000.

Lung cancer is not the only smoking-related cause of death in women. The World Health Organization states that at least 25% of women smokers will die of smoking-related disease such as cardiovascular disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).