| men and women die from lung cancer than any other | | | | don’t smoke have a 24 percent likelihood to |
| cancers. Who is most susceptible to this disease? | | | | develop lung cancer if they live with a smoker. Nearly |
| Nearly 70 percent of the elderly 65 and older will be | | | | 3,000 deaths can be associated with passive |
| diagnosed with this disease. Three percent of lung | | | | smoking. |
| cancer cases have appeared in people younger than | | | | Asbestos Fibers – Mesothelioma and lung |
| 45 years old. | | | | cancer through asbestos exposure is high. People |
| Until the 1930s, cancer of the lungs was not as | | | | who work in asbestos related fields and smoke |
| prevalent but still quite common. However, once | | | | dramatically increase their chances of getting a lung |
| there was an increase of tobacco smoking use, lung | | | | cancer connected disease. When compared with their |
| cancer cases rose drastically. As information and | | | | non smoking counterparts, they have a 50 to 90 |
| education circulates about the hidden dangers of | | | | percent greater risk of getting lung cancer or other |
| smoking, lung cancer related deaths are beginning to | | | | lung related illness. |
| see a decline. Despite all the education and the public | | | | Radon Gas – Radon gas has been |
| awareness, it’s still a common human cancer. | | | | documented to be the next leading cause in lung |
| For women, breast cancer is no longer the number | | | | cancer deaths, killing anywhere from 15,000 to |
| one killer. Lung cancer has exceeded breast cancer | | | | 22,000 people in the United States every year. Like |
| related deaths. | | | | asbestos exposure, radon exposure augments lung |
| Lung Cancer Causes | | | | cancer risks. The gas is able to travel through soil. It |
| Smoking – Most lung cancer related deaths | | | | can gain entrance into homes by the gaps found in |
| (about 90 percent) have been associated with | | | | its foundation, its drains and its pipes. Nearly one in 15 |
| smoking. Each time a person smokes a cigarette, | | | | homes is found with dangerous level of radon gas |
| they increase their chances of getting lung cancer. | | | | according to the United States Environmental |
| Based upon doctors’ formula regarding the | | | | Protection Agency. Can a person tell if their home |
| quantity of packs to the amount of years smoked, | | | | has high amounts of radon gas? Only by a kit. The |
| someone who has a 30 pack to year history has a | | | | gas cannot be smelled, nor can be it seen. |
| greater chance to develop lung cancer. For those | | | | Genetics – It’s true that most cases |
| people who smoke two, three or more packs a day, | | | | of lung cancer can be linked back to smoking. |
| statistics show that one in seven diagnosed will die | | | | However, not every smoker will get the disease. |
| from the disease. Cigarette smoking is not the only | | | | That means other factors like genetics could play a |
| culprit to lung cancer. Cigar smoking and pipe smoking | | | | part behind the causes of lung cancer. Studies have |
| can also lead to the disease at a lower rate. Those | | | | revealed that cancer can and does occur in families |
| who smoke cigars or pipe smoke are five times | | | | that have smokers and nonsmokers. It would seem a |
| more likely to get lung cancer than a person who | | | | gene can increase the vulnerability of smokers in |
| never smoked. | | | | getting lung cancer. |
| The smoke found in tobacco has over 4,000 element | | | | Lung Diseases – When a smoker or even non |
| compounds. Many of these are cancer causing. Two | | | | smoker has other lung diseases such as COPD |
| key carcinogens are polycyclic aromatic hdrycarbons | | | | (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), they are at |
| and nitrosamines. Once a person has given up | | | | an increased risk to develop the disease even if they |
| tobacco use, lung cancer risks decreases every year. | | | | quit smoking and all the effects have worn away. |
| Normal cells will begin to grow and outnumber | | | | History of Lung Disease – People with a |
| damaged lung cells. After 15 years of not smoking, | | | | record of lung cancer are at a higher risk of |
| lung processes and the threat of the disease gets | | | | developing it a second time. People who have |
| close to that of someone who has never smoked. | | | | survived a non-small cell lung cancers have a one to |
| Passive Smoking – What is passive smoking? | | | | two percent risk to getting the disease a second |
| This is when people who are in close quarters | | | | time while those who have beaten small cell lung |
| smokers breathe in the smoke filled air. Those who | | | | cancers have a six percent increase each year. |