Lung Cancer

It's a top killer nationwide, but lung cancer is still a greatly misunderstood disease.

Lung cancer kills more people than any other kind of cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common fatal cancer in both men and women. Each year, lung cancer kills more people than colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. According to the American Lung Association, the estimated five-year survival rate of all patients diagnosed with lung cancer is 15 percent. By comparison, the five-year survival rates for colon, breast and prostate cancers are 63 percent, 88 percent and 99 percent, respectively.

Ten percent to 15 percent of lung cancer patients have never smoked.

Although smokers are much more likely than nonsmokers to develop lung cancer, many lung cancer patients are nonsmokers. Other risk factors include secondhand smoke in the home or workplace or exposure to carcinogens such as asbestos, radon gas or arsenic. Studies have also shown that a family history of lung cancer can increase an individual’s risk. Family members may share habits such as smoking, they may live in a common environment where carcinogens are present, or they may possess a genetic inheritance that makes them more susceptible to lung cancer. Lung cancer in non-smokers is more common in women than in men.

Lung cancer is more common in developed countries.

Lung cancer is more common in developed countries. Although lung cancer occurs worldwide, people in developed countries are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. A number of factors may contribute to this disparity, including levels of air pollution and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle.

Race may be a factor in developing lung cancer.

Research shows that among smokers, lung cancer is more common among certain ethnicities. According to a study published in the January 2006 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, African-Americans and native Hawaiians are 55 percent more likely than Caucasians to develop lung cancer. The risk to Latinos and Japanese-Americans is roughly 50 percent less than to Caucasians.

It’s difficult to diagnose lung cancer in its earliest stages.

The high mortality rate for lung cancer is due in part to the fact that so many patients are not diagnosed until their cancer has reached an advanced stage. Early symptoms can include a persistent cough, chest pain, shortness of breath or prolonged respiratory infections like pneumonia or bronchitis. Often, however, there are no obvious symptoms during lung cancer’s earliest phase.

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