| Introduction | | | | The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the |
| Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in | | | | earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of |
| tissues of the lung. It is one of the most common | | | | lung cancer. High levels of pollution, radiation and |
| cancers in the United States, accounting for about 15 | | | | asbestos exposure may also increase risk. |
| percent of all cases, or 170,000 new cases each year. | | | | Symptoms |
| It is also the worst cancer killer in America, taking more | | | | Symptoms include: Chronic cough, Hoarseness, |
| lives each year than breast, prostate and colorectal | | | | Coughing up blood, Weight loss & loss of appetite, |
| cancers combined, according to the American Cancer | | | | Shortness of breath, Fever without a known reason, |
| Society. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths in US | | | | Wheezing, Repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia |
| women and is responsible for as many deaths as | | | | and Chest pain. About 10% of people do not have |
| breast and all gynecological cancers combined. | | | | symptoms at diagnosis; these cancers are incidentally |
| Smoking | | | | found on routine chest x-rays. In fact, lung cancer can |
| Smoking, radon, and second hand smoke are the | | | | spread outside the lungs without causing any |
| leading causes. Smoking causes an estimated 160,000* | | | | symptoms. |
| deaths in the US. Smoking leads to 85 percent to 90 | | | | Treatment |
| percent of all lung cancers. Smoking affects | | | | Treatment depends on the cancer's specific cell type, |
| non-smokers by exposing them to second hand | | | | how far it has spread, and the patient's performance |
| smoke. If a person stops smoking, this chance steadily | | | | status. It also depends on the stage, or how advanced |
| decreases as damage to the lungs is repaired and | | | | it is. Treatment choices can be discussed with a |
| contaminant particles are gradually removed. | | | | doctor. It may include chemotherapy, radiation and |
| Radon | | | | surgery. In recent years, various molecular targeted |
| Radon is a colorless and odorless gas generated by | | | | therapies have been developed as treatments. |
| the breakdown of radioactive radium, which in turn is | | | | Conclusion |
| the decay product of uranium, found in the earth's | | | | Lung cancer is the second most commonly occurring |
| crust. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer | | | | form of cancer in most western countries, and it is the |
| among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. | | | | leading cancer-related cause of death. It is the most |
| Radon causes between 15,000 and 22,000 deaths | | | | common cause of cancer deaths in both men and |
| each year in the United States -- 12 percent of all lung | | | | women, accounting for nearly a third of cancer deaths |
| cancer deaths are linked to radon. | | | | annually in the United States. It has become the |
| Risk | | | | subject of a great amount of research. Although the |
| Risk factors include the following: Smoking cigarettes | | | | rate of men dying from it is declining in western |
| or cigars, now or in the past. Not all cases are due to | | | | countries, it is actually increasing for women due to the |
| smoking, but the role of passive smoking is increasingly | | | | increased takeup of smoking by this group. We |
| being recognized as a risk factor, leading to policy | | | | already know that the best way to prevent it is to quit |
| interventions to decrease undesired exposure of | | | | (or never start) smoking. Three to five years after |
| non-smokers to others' tobacco smoke. A smoker | | | | quitting, the risk of getting the disease is reduced by |
| who is also exposed to radon has a much higher risk. | | | | half. |