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MayoClinic.com feature focuses on lung cancer
By Mayo Clinic staff| Journalists |
|
For more information, contact:
Ginger Plumbo |
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States among men and women. The disease claims more lives each year than colon, prostate, lymph and breast cancers combined. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 161,840 men and women will die of lung cancer in 2008.
MayoClinic.com offers in-depth content regarding lung cancer causes, risk factors and prevention.
Causes
Smoking causes the majority of lung cancers — in smokers and in people exposed to secondhand smoke. Experts believe smoking damages the cells that line the lungs. Those cells are where lung cancer most commonly begins. When an individual inhales cigarette smoke, which is full of cancer-causing substances (carcinogens), changes in the lung tissue begin almost immediately. These changes can eventually lead to lung cancer.
Risk factors
A number of factors may increase an individual's risk of lung cancer. Some lung cancer risk factors can be controlled, for instance, by quitting smoking. And other factors are not so controllable, such as your gender. Risk factors for lung cancer include:
- Smoking
- Gender
- Exposure to secondhand smoke
- Exposure to radon gas
- Exposure to asbestos and other chemicals
- Family history of lung cancer
- Excessive alcohol use
Prevention
Ways to reduce lung cancer risk include:
- Don't smoke
- Stop smoking
- Avoid secondhand smoke
- Test your home for radon
- Avoid carcinogens at work
- Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables
- Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all
- Exercise
Coping and support
A cancer diagnosis is devastating, and coping with lung cancer is difficult. Coming to terms with the diagnosis may take some time and several steps, for example:
- Learn about lung cancer
- Take an active role in treatment
- Build a strong support system
- Set reasonable goals
- Stay active
