Uncommon Lung Cancer Facts
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Former smokers. Half of new diagnoses in the U.S. are in former smokers, many of whom quit more than a decade prior to their diagnosis. This population group is often unaware of their elevated risk of developing lung cancer. And, approximately 38,500 who never smoked also will be diagnosed with lung cancer.
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Radon exposure. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among never-smokers and the overall second leading cause of lung cancer. People exposed to high levels of radon at home or work can develop lung cancer—even if they never smoked. More Americans will die from radon-induced lung cancer than from drunk driving, home fires, home falls or AIDS.
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Family history of lung cancer. Researchers have discovered evidence of a possible inherited component for lung cancer. The findings suggest that exposure to even a small amount of smoke or radon may lead to lung cancer in people with this inherited susceptibility.
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Veterans. U.S. military veterans have significantly higher lung cancer incidence rates and mortality rates than civilian population.
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African-American males. This population segment has a significantly higher risk for developing lung cancer and dying from the disease compared with Caucasian males with similar smoking history.
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Marijuana smokers. Cannabis smoking may have a greater potential than tobacco smoking to cause lung cancer. One marijuana joint carries the carcinogens of a full pack of cigarettes. Marijuana smokers inhale more deeply and hold the smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers.
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Nonsmoking women. One in five women and one in 12 men diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked. Women with lung cancer who have never smoked outnumber their male counterparts three to one.
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BAC. Women of Asian descent are disproportionately diagnosed with a particular type of lung cancer known as bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC). This type of lung cancer is often found in never smokers.
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Survival rate. The 5-year survival rate for lung cancer is approximately 15 percent. Survival rates for breast cancer are 88 percent, for prostate cancer 99 percent and for colon cancer 64 percent.
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Screening. While other major cancers have accepted screening practices, such as mammogram, PSA, and colonoscopy, lung cancer early detection or screening protocols exist but have not been embraced as the standard of care.
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Stigma. People diagnosed with lung cancer feel stigmatized whether or not they smoked. Researchers found that patients’ interaction with family, friends and doctors suffered as a result. The stigma contributed to patients concealing their illness and living with heightened fear and anxiety.
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Research disparity. Lung cancer stigma has created a culture of disparity for lung cancer research. Lung cancer is the least funded of all other major cancers. Federal agencies supporting medical research allocated $27,480 per death for breast cancer research, $14,336 per death for prostate cancer and $1,249 per lung cancer death.
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Public enemy #1. Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer. It kills more than breast, colon, prostate, liver, kidney and melanoma cancers—combined. Lung cancer kills nearly twice as many women as breast cancer and three times as many men as prostate cancer. This year, 220,000 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer and 160,000 will die from the disease.
Copyright © 2010 Dusty Joy - All Rights Reserved.
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