Lung Cancer By, Jessica Tremblay

How many people know someone who has had or presently has lung cancer?

Statistics Lung cancer makes up 15% of all new cancers. Men have a 1 in 13 chance that they will develop lung cancer in their lifetime, and women have a 1 in 16 chance. About 97% of lung cancer cases are found in people over the age of 45. 215,020 new cases of lung cancer in 2008, 161,840 of whom were predicted to die. weIt was predicted that there would be 215,020 new cases of lung cancer in the year 2008 alone. 161,840 of whom were predicted to die because of lung cancer. And here is a graph of that…

2008 Predictions by American Cancer Society

Healthy Lungs Lungs with Cancer The picture on the left shows a person with healthy lungs and the picture on the right is an x-ray of a person’s lungs with cancer.

Risk Factors There are a variety of risk factors that can make someone more susceptible to developing lung cancer. These risk factors can be: - Related to Lifestyle Choices - Unalterable Factors - Environmental Factors

Lifestyle Risk Factors Smoking Tobacco- tobacco contains carcinogens and when they are inhaled, they irritate and damage the cells in the lungs and the airways. After a while these damaged cells may become cancerous. Alcohol Consumption- frequent alcohol consumption has been proven to weaken the immune system, this in turn can effect a person's susceptibility to developing cancer. Diet- studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between a person’s dietary intake of cholesterol and fat and a person’s chance of developing lung cancer. The chance that a smoker will develop lung cancer is affected by the - age at which smoking began - how long the person has smoked - the number of cigarettes smoked per day - and how deeply the smoker inhales Stopping smoking significantly reduces a person's chance of developing lung cancer.

Unalterable Risk Factors Age- the older you are the higher your susceptibility to develop lung cancer. Sex- men have a higher risk of developing lung cancer than women. Race- Black men and women are 40% more likely to develop lung cancer than White men and women. Genetics- if cancer, especially lung cancer, tends to run in the family then you have a higher chance of developing lung cancer. Personal Health History- you have a greater chance of developing lung cancer if you have had one or more of these diseases: pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis, asthma or emphysema.

Environmental Risk Factors Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Pollution Radon Asbestos Radiation

Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) AKA- secondhand smoking, involuntary smoking or passive smoking. Secondhand smoke was classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of lung cancer in humans and it causes about 3,400 lung cancer deaths each year! ETS contains hundreds of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals.

Hydrogen Cyanide- gas chamber poison Arsenic- rat poison Ammonia- floor and toilet cleaner Acetone- nail polish remover DDT- insecticide

Pollution Outdoor air pollution is made up of many different chemicals and gases. The ones that have the strongest impact on lung cancer are: - Nitrogen Dioxide: vehicle exhaust is the main source of nitrogen dioxide. It is a brownish yellow gas and can cause decreased lung function and even lung cancer. - Particulate Matter (PM): which are tiny airborne particles that are small enough to be inhaled into the lungs. The average adult breathes in 3,000 gallons of air a day. Particulate matter can be soot emitted from vehicles or coal-fired power plants and factories. These particles are easily inhaled deep into the lungs where they can accumulate and damage the lungs and could eventually cause lung cancer.

Pollution from marine shipping causes about 60,000 premature cardiopulmonary and lung cancer deaths around the world each year.

Radon Radon is an invisible, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that is released from the normal decay of uranium in rocks and soil. The radioactive particles from radon can irritate and damage the cells that line the lungs which can ultimately cause lung cancer. Among non-smokers, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer. Radon can be linked to 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths every year. Testing is the only way to know if your home has high levels of radon. Miners are especially at risk for high exposure to radon.

This diagram is just showing all the ways radon can enter a house. Radon can enter though: Windows Cracks in the houses’ foundation Water

You can see here that the higher the level of radon exposure, the higher number of people at risk for lung cancer. And notice it says “non-smokers” in parentheses at the top, this is because people who smoke and who are exposed to radon have an even higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Asbestos Asbestos fibers break easily into tiny particles that can float in the air and stick to clothes. When these particles are inhaled, they can lodge in the airways and lungs, causing irritation of the airway lining and damaging cells. Over time this damage eventually leads to lung cancer. Asbestos might promote lung cancer by giving the mutated cells selective conditions for growing and expanding.

Being exposed to asbestos and smoking can tremendously increase a person’s risk of dying from lung cancer.

Radiation Atomic Bomb Radiation- increased the risk of lung cancer among the Japanese who were exposed. Radiation Therapy- has been proven to increase the risk of lung cancer among those who go through radiation treatment.

Treatments Surgical Removal of the Tumor Chemotherapy Radiation Therapy I’m not going to go into the details of the various treatments of lung cancer but the treatments can involve surgical removal of the tumor, chemotherapy or radiation therapy as well as a combination of these treatments. Even more important than the treatment of lung cancer is the prevention of it.

Prevention Limit alcohol, cholesterol and fat consumption. DO NOT smoke! Wear protective equipment and follow safety procedures when working with asbestos. Test your home for elevated radon levels. Reducing pollution can be done on an individual level by doing things like walking or riding a bike when you can. Avoid areas where people tend to smoke, or even try to establish more no smoking zones.

References Unknown Author. (2008). What are the key statistics of lung cancer?. American Cancer Society. Retrieved October 29, 2008 from http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1x_What_Are_the_Key_Statistics_About_Lung_Cancer_15.asp. Unknown Author. (2008). Lung Cancer: Environmental Risk Factors. Oncology Channel. Retrieved October 29, 2008 from http://www.oncologychannel.com/lungcancer/environmental.shtml. Unknown Author. (2006). Risk Factors/Causes of Lung Cancer. About.com: Lung Diseases. Retrieved October 29, 2008 from http://lungdiseases.about.com/od/riskfact3/a/causelungcancer.htm. Unknown Author. (2008). Lung Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved October 29, 2008 from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/lung/. Unknown Author. (2008). Secondhand Smoke Fact Sheet. American Lung Association. Retrieved October 29, 2008 from http://www.lungusa.org/site/c.dvLUK9O0E/b.35422/ Unknown Author. (2008). Radon. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved October 29, 2008 from http://www.epa.gov/radon/ Unknown Author. (2006). Harmful substances and cancer – Air pollution and radon. Cancer Research UK. Retrieved October 29, 2008 from http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/harmfulsubstances/airpollutionandradon/

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