HEALTH & WELLNESS
Facts about lung cancer
Lung cancer develops when normally healthy cells
in lung tissue multiply uncontrollably, causing an
overgrowth of cells. As with other types of cancer in
the body, lung cancer can start from within lung tissue itself (primary cancer) or spread from cancer that
started elsewhere in the body (secondary cancer).
In 2011, lung-related cancer was the number-one
estimated cause of death in both men and women and the second-most-common cause of estimated new cases of all cancer
in both sexes.
is the number-one cause of lung cancer, leading to
more than 80 percent of cases. Worse yet, the risk of
lung cancer dramatically increases with the number
of years and number of packs per day a person has
smoked.
The most common risk factors for lung cancer:
A closer look at the lungs
We all know that our lungs are used for breathing, but many
of us don’t realize that they are a complex set of organs that are
at very high risk for developing cancer.
Diagram of the human lungs
*First responders such as firefighters may be at higher risk
of exposure to asbestos due to their constant engagement with
burning structures.
What are the symptoms of lung cancer?
A series of tubes carries oxygen from the windpipe, or trachea, into smaller tubes called bronchi and eventually into
small sacs called alveoli that are responsible for exchanging oxygen, carbon dioxide and other compounds that are produced
in the process of breathing and living. (Lungs illustration used
without permission from the Lung Cancer Alliance.)
What are the risk factors for lung cancer?
Everyone is different, and so is each person’s risk for developing lung cancer. It’s important to recognize that smoking
While the following list of symptoms may or may not be associated with lung cancer, together they are signs that could indicate unhealthy, possibly fatal changes occurring in the lungs.
Signs of local disease (has not spread from the area where it
started):
• Coughing (the most common sign)
• Blood in coughed-up fluid
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Extreme tiredness
• Pneumonia (diagnosed by a physician)
Signs of locally advanced disease (has spread to nearby tissue):
• Hoarse voice
• Difficulty or pain swallowing
• A high-pitched wheezing when breathing
• Extra fluid in the lining of the lungs or heart (diagnosed
by a physician)
If you have any of these symptoms, be sure to schedule a doctor appointment as soon as possible. Awareness of lung cancer
is key, but only a physician can diagnose lung cancer.
If you smoke, now is the time to stop. Tobacco smoke is
known to cause cancer. Quitting today can’t take away the damage done, but it can help put you on the road to a healthier future. d
This message is sponsored in conjunction with HERO:
Stay healthy stay strong
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■ AUGUST 2016 69