Lung Cancer.....Prevention, Symptoms & Detection

Were you aware that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and the second
most common cancer among both men and women in the United States? 

Today we will touch on ways to prevent lung cancer, symptoms of lung cancer and how to detect it.

Prevention:
As many of you may know, the most important thing you can do to lower your lung
cancer risk is to quit smoking AND avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking accounts for
80-90% of all lung cancers. There are great resources to assist in quitting, calling 1
(800) QUIT-NOW is one option. 

Acupuncture, Hypnotism and even taking Tai Chi can help kick the habit. A recent study conducted at the University of Miami had participants take one hour Tai Chi classes, three times per week for twelve weeks and nearly 60 percent had stopped smoking.

The second leading cause of lung cancer is radon, a naturally occurring gas that comes from rocks and dirt. The gas can get trapped in homes and buildings causing the level to be higher then the EPA recommended limit. 

Go to http://www.health.ny.gov/forms/doh-2247.pdf to print out an order form for a reduced cost radon kit. One kit allows you to test up to 2000 sq. feet and is only $8.50 through this program. Instructions for the radon testing emphasizes testing basements and kitchens, if you have a granite countertop. You can also contact a certified radon professional for testing an mitigation. A good resource is AARST, this organization has qualified members on their website at www.aarst.org.

Other causes of lung cancer are air pollution, genetics and asbestos.

Symptoms:
One fourth of all people with lung cancer have no symptoms when diagnosed. These
are usually found accidentally via a chest X-ray being preformed for another aliment.
The other three fourths do develop some kind of symptom. Some symptoms are cough,
coughing up blood, fatigue, unexplained weight loss, hoarseness, wheezing, shortness
of breath, and/or recurrent respiratory infections.


Diagnosis:
There are basically two types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and small cell
lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for about 85 percent of lung cancers.
Small Cell Lung Cancer accounts for the remaining 15 percent and results from
smoking even more so than non-small cell lung cancer. It grows more rapidly and
spreads to other parts of the body earlier than non-small cell lung cancer, but it is also
more responsive to chemotherapy. Most lung cancers are not found until stages III and
IV.

A chest X-ray may not show an abnormality, a better test is a CT scan or MRI which can
show much greater detail than an X-ray.

A sputum test is used if the patient is producing thick mucus during a cough. The cells
in the sputum can be examined to see if they are cancerous, this is called a cytologic
review.

Bronchoscopy is an endoscopic test that is used to view the lungs. If a tumor is
detected the physician can collect samples to be tested.

"To insure good health:

 Eat lightly, 

breathe deeply, 

live moderately, 

cultivate cheerfulness, 

and maintain an interest in life." 

~William Londen