HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · NOVEMBER 2018
LUNG
CANCER:
BREATHE IN THE FACTS,
BUST THE MYTHS
W
hen I think of some of the
most common cancer-related
misconceptions I hear from patients
and their families, it’s that only
people who smoke develop lung
cancer. While it’s true that smoking is the number one risk
factor for lung cancer, up to 20 percent of Americans that
die of lung cancer each year have never smoked.
With the holidays quickly approaching, the conversation
may turn to health. That’s why there’s no better time to get
the facts straight about the deadliest – but often preventable
– cancer in both Texas and the United States. By getting to
know a little more about lung cancer, you can help bust the
myths and correct misinformation around this disease.
WHAT IS LUNG CANCER?
Lung cancer develops in lung tissues, usually in the cells
lining our air passages, in one or both lungs. There are
more than a dozen types of lung cancer. The most common
type of those is non-small cell lung cancer, accounting for
approximately 75 percent of lung cancers. Small cell lung
cancer, sometimes called “oat cell cancer” because of its
shape, is the second most common type of lung cancer and
represents approximately 20 to 25 percent of cases. While
malignant mesothelioma cases are rare, it ranks as the third
main type of lung cancer.
WHO’S AT RISK?
People develop lung disease from surprising sources, such
as their homes and places of work, and not just from smoke
or secondhand smoke. Exposure to certain types of fumes,
dust, and chemicals can cause lung cancer.
While the statistics are staggering – each year the disease
claims more lives than colon, breast, and prostate cancers
combined – lung cancer is often preventable and may be
treated. While men and women who smoke are about 25 times
20 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
Rogelio
Salinas, M.D.