Lung Cancer
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Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States. In 1987, it surpassed breast cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Smoking is the most important cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is estimated that 90 percent lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Other causes include radon, asbestos and air pollution.4
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Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States. In 1987, it surpassed breast cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.1
*
Lung cancer causes more deaths than the next three most common cancers combined (colon, breast and prostate). An estimated 162,460 deaths from lung cancer will occur in the United States during 2006.2
*
Between 1979 and 2003 lung cancer deaths increased by 60 percent. The age-adjusted death rate for lung cancer in males was 74 percent greater than the rate seen in females. The age-adjusted death rate in the black population was 12 percent greater than the rate in the white population.3
*
Smoking is the most important cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is estimated that 90 percent lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Other causes include radon, asbestos and air pollution.4
*
An estimated 351,344 Americans are living with lung cancer.5 During 2006 an estimated 174,470 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed.6
*
Men have higher rates of lung cancer than females. In 2003, 78.5 per 100,000 men compared to 51.3 per 100,000 women were diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States.7 However, lung cancer incidence rates have been significantly decreasing among men while the rate has been stable since 1998 in women, after a long period of increases.8
*
In 2003, the lung cancer incidence rate in black men was 50% higher than that of white men. Rates were similar among black and white women.9
*
In 2002, Kentucky had the highest age-adjusted lung cancer incidence rates in both males (133.8 per 10,000) and females (73.0 per 100,000). Utah had the lowest age-adjusted cancer incidence rates in both males and females (38.1 per 100,000 and 20.9 per 100,000). These state specific rates were parallel to smoking prevalence rates.10
*
There are two major types of lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is much more common. It usually spreads to different parts of the body more slowly than small cell lung cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma, ademocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma are three types of non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer also called oat cell cancer, accounts for less than 20% of all lung cancer.11
*
The expected 5-year survival rate for all patients in whom lung cancer is diagnosed is 15.5 percent compared to 64.8 percent for colon, 89 percent for breast and 99.9 percent for prostate cancer.12 The 5-year survival rate is 49.3 percent for cases detected when the disease is still localized. However, only 24 percent of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage. For distant tumors the 5-year survival rate is just over 2 percent.13
*
About 6 out of 10 people with lung cancer die within 1 year of being diagnosed with the disease. Between 7 and 8 will die within 2 years.14
*
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, accounting for 1.2 million new cases annually. It is the most common diagnosed cancer but with marked regional variation. Over 3 million people have lung cancer, the majority residing in developed countries.15
____________________
Q: What symptoms of lung cancer would be important to have checked out by a physician?
A: The most frequent signs of lung cancer are:
a cough that does not go away
blood streaks in your sputum
chest wall pain
shortness of breath
hoarseness
These symptoms can also occur with other illnesses besides lung cancer. They should be evaluated right away to determine the cause. Most lung cancers are not discovered until symptoms arise. Unfortunately, by the time symptoms develop the cancer can be advanced.
If you have any of these symptoms you should have them checked by your primary care physician as soon as you can.
____________________
Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After Treatment (Email Course)
This 5-day email course provides comprehensive information that you will need to know about your chemotherapy treatment plan. Find out what you need to do before, during and after your chemotherapy treatment. Learn how chemotherapy kills cancer and find out how it affects the body. Get information and tips about how to care for yourself during chemotherapy treatment.
What To Expect During Chemotherapy Treatment
Chemotherapy is the treatment of malignant tumors with cancer killing drugs. If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, your doctor will prescribe a chemotherapy treatment plan for you. However, before you begin chemotherapy treament, there are many side effects you should know about.
The Side Effects of Chemotherapy
If you and your oncologist have decided that chemotherapy is the best treatment method, you should be aware of the many side effects of chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy Routes of Administration
There are four routes of administration of chemotherapy drugs. Find out what these routes are and how they are chosen. What route of administration will your chemotherapy treatment be for your lung cancer?
How Chemotherapy Drugs Kill Cancer
What types of chemotherapy treatments are available? Are there different types of chemotherapy drugs used for treating cancer? Find out about the types of chemotherapy and how these types of chemotherapy destroy cancer cells.
4 Things You Must Do Before Starting Chemotherapy
Once your lung cancer diagnosis has been confirmed and you and your doctor have decided that chemotherapy is the best treatment, you will need to prepare yourself for treatment. Find out what you need to know and do before beginning your chemotherapy treatment.
How to Prevent Infection During Chemotherapy
During chemotherapy treatment, white blood counts are low, leaving your body vulnerable to infection. These tips will help you to prevent infection during chemotherapy and recover quickly.
How to Prevent Chemotherapy Hair Loss
Chemotherapy kills more than just cancer cells. Cells responsible for hair growth are also killed - that's why people undergoing chemotherapy treatment experience hair loss. However if you follow these tips, you can reduce the amount of chemotherapy hair loss.
I Finished My Chemotherapy. So Am I Cured?
Once you've completed chemotherapy or other cancer treatment, your doctor will evaluate your cancer status. Find out what responses you may hear from your doctor and what the responses mean.
Lung Cancer Treatments
Provides a listing and description of many lung cancer treatments.
Treatment According to Stages
Find out what the four stages of lung cancer treatment are and what you can expect during your treatment.
Radiation Therapy - Risk Factors, Expectations & Complications
Discover the risk factors, expectations and complications involved in internal and external radiation therapy. Get information about post-operative care and when you should call your doctor.
Thoracotomy / Lung Surgery - Risk Factors & Expectations
A thoracotomy is a surgical procedure for opening the chest wall in order to access the lungs, esophagus, trachea, aorta, heart and diaphragm. Discover the risk factors, expectations and what you will need to do post-surgery.
Lung Transplant - Risk Factors, Expectations & Post-Operative Care
A lung transplant is a surgical procedure to remove severely diseased lungs and replace them with healthy lungs from a human donor. One or both lungs may be transplanted. Read about risk factors, expectations and the post-operative care you will need.
Lung Volume Reduction Surgery - LVRS
This is a relatively new procedure based on the observation that emphysema causes the lung to expand and compress good lung tissue. If the diseased lung tissue is removed, it will result in more room in the chest cavity for the good lung tissue to expand and carry on gas exchange.
__________________
Study Links HPV to Lung Cancer
Despite Threat of Lung Cancer, Conservatives Still Don't Want Their Kids Vaccinated
By RUSSELL GOLDMAN
April 28, 2008—
A newly published study links the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, or HPV, to lung cancer, adding lungs to the list of organs scientists say are susceptible to cancer as a result of contracting the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.
Recent studies have found connections between HPV and cancers of the mouth and throat, but the University of Louisville study released late last week is the first to associate the infection with lung cancer.
HPV has long been known to result in cancers of the sex organs, particularly the cervix, and a vaccine targeting young women and girls was introduced in the United States in 2006.
Conservative parents and activists have condemned the vaccine, marketed under the name Gardasil, since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year, claiming it would -- like easily available condoms -- encourage young people to engage in promiscuous sex.
Those same parents and groups say the news showing a link between the virus and lung cancer, which means it could affect not only their daughters but also their sons, does not change their opposition to the drug.
At a conference this week in Geneva, Dr. Arash Rezazadeh from the University of Louisville presented the findings of the study, which found HPV in six out of 23 lung cancer samples.
"The researchers found six samples that tested positive for the presence of human papillomavirus, the virus that also causes many cases of cervical cancer. One was later shown to be a cervical cancer that had spread to the lungs," read a statement from the First European Lung Cancer Conference.
All the samples came from smokers, and authors of the study said smoking remains the most important factor in the development of lung cancer. But "the fact that five out of 22 non-small-cell lung cancer samples were HPV-positive supports the assumption that HPV contributes to the development of non-small-cell lung cancer," they said.
"We think HPV has a role as a co-carcinogen which increases the risk of cancer in a smoking population," Rezazadeh said in a statement.
Rezazadeh was in Switzerland for the conference and unavailable for comment.
According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, some 20 million Americans are infected with HPV, and another 6.2 million become newly infected every year. Some strains of the disease result in genital warts, but other strains can, over time, develop into cancer.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008, 11,070 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States.
Other HPV-related cancers include vulva, vaginal, penile and anal.
Though the study is the first to note the combined effects of smoking and HPV on the lungs, doctors have known for a while that women who smoke and contract HPV are more likely to develop cervical cancer than nonsmokers, said Dr. Lauren F. Streicher, an OB/GYN and professor at Northwestern Medical School.
"Smoking plays a key role in the rate of conversion to malignancy in cervical cancer too," she said. "Seventy to 80 percent of women are exposed to HPV, but less than 1 percent of women get cervical cancer. We know lesions on the cervix are more likely to become cancerous in smokers."
HPV is generally contracted through the skin during sex. With the exception of the one lung cancer sample that originated with cervical cancer, the mechanism by which the lungs became infected was not clear from the study.
Though the Louisville study does not discuss the efficacy of the HPV vaccine in treating lung cancer, the vaccine targets the same cancer-causing type of the virus found in the lung cancer samples -- type 16.
"Type 16 is the one that causes cancer," Streicher said. "As more of these studies are completed, we're learning that the vaccine would clearly be preventive in many different kinds of cancers, not just cervical."
Though the vaccine has been approved by the FDA, and according to Streicher, "is grounded in solid science," many conservative parents have opposed giving the vaccine to their preteen and teenage daughters, the target group for the vaccine.
"We don't need to be vaccinating children against something that can be prevented with a behavior change," said Kimberly Martinez, executive director of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, a nonprofit group that advocates teaching children not to have sex rather than to have safe sex.
"We have to teach kids values and boundaries," she said. "If you give kids the vaccine, you're giving them a license to go have sex. It's like if you teach a kid to use a condom, you know what they're going to do with it," she said.
Maria McKnight, a mother of two from Tea, S.D., said the risk of lung cancer, like the risk of cervical cancer, does not change her opposition to vaccinating her 7-year-old daughter.
"HPV is completely 100 percent preventable. I don't see the point of putting her through the risk of the vaccine," she said. "In the same way I protect my kids from lung cancer by teaching them not to smoke or do drugs, I can protect them from HPV by teaching them not to have sex."
"I'd love to see cervical cancer wiped off the planet," she said. "I've watched someone die of lung cancer and would love to see that gone too. But we're talking about stopping a sexually transmitted disease. Stopping the behavior is the best way to stop the disease."
If HPV is increasingly linked with other forms of cancer and the vaccine becomes available to boys, McKnight said she would not give her 11-year-old son the vaccine for the same reasons.
Some parents remain opposed to the vaccine, citing side effects and fears that it has not been tested thoroughly enough to know its long-term effects. When the vaccine was initially introduced, some states attempted to pass legislation making it required for children to enter school. Only Virginia has passed a law mandating the vaccine, which will go into effect next October.
Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States. In 1987, it surpassed breast cancer to become the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.1
*
Lung cancer causes more deaths than the next three most common cancers combined (colon, breast and prostate). An estimated 162,460 deaths from lung cancer will occur in the United States during 2006.2
*
Between 1979 and 2003 lung cancer deaths increased by 60 percent. The age-adjusted death rate for lung cancer in males was 74 percent greater than the rate seen in females. The age-adjusted death rate in the black population was 12 percent greater than the rate in the white population.3
*
Smoking is the most important cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is estimated that 90 percent lung cancer cases are caused by smoking. Other causes include radon, asbestos and air pollution.4
*
An estimated 351,344 Americans are living with lung cancer.5 During 2006 an estimated 174,470 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed.6
*
Men have higher rates of lung cancer than females. In 2003, 78.5 per 100,000 men compared to 51.3 per 100,000 women were diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States.7 However, lung cancer incidence rates have been significantly decreasing among men while the rate has been stable since 1998 in women, after a long period of increases.8
*
In 2003, the lung cancer incidence rate in black men was 50% higher than that of white men. Rates were similar among black and white women.9
*
In 2002, Kentucky had the highest age-adjusted lung cancer incidence rates in both males (133.8 per 10,000) and females (73.0 per 100,000). Utah had the lowest age-adjusted cancer incidence rates in both males and females (38.1 per 100,000 and 20.9 per 100,000). These state specific rates were parallel to smoking prevalence rates.10
*
There are two major types of lung cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer is much more common. It usually spreads to different parts of the body more slowly than small cell lung cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma, ademocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma are three types of non-small cell lung cancer. Small cell lung cancer also called oat cell cancer, accounts for less than 20% of all lung cancer.11
*
The expected 5-year survival rate for all patients in whom lung cancer is diagnosed is 15.5 percent compared to 64.8 percent for colon, 89 percent for breast and 99.9 percent for prostate cancer.12 The 5-year survival rate is 49.3 percent for cases detected when the disease is still localized. However, only 24 percent of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an early stage. For distant tumors the 5-year survival rate is just over 2 percent.13
*
About 6 out of 10 people with lung cancer die within 1 year of being diagnosed with the disease. Between 7 and 8 will die within 2 years.14
*
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, accounting for 1.2 million new cases annually. It is the most common diagnosed cancer but with marked regional variation. Over 3 million people have lung cancer, the majority residing in developed countries.15
____________________
Q: What symptoms of lung cancer would be important to have checked out by a physician?
A: The most frequent signs of lung cancer are:
a cough that does not go away
blood streaks in your sputum
chest wall pain
shortness of breath
hoarseness
These symptoms can also occur with other illnesses besides lung cancer. They should be evaluated right away to determine the cause. Most lung cancers are not discovered until symptoms arise. Unfortunately, by the time symptoms develop the cancer can be advanced.
If you have any of these symptoms you should have them checked by your primary care physician as soon as you can.
____________________
Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After Treatment (Email Course)
This 5-day email course provides comprehensive information that you will need to know about your chemotherapy treatment plan. Find out what you need to do before, during and after your chemotherapy treatment. Learn how chemotherapy kills cancer and find out how it affects the body. Get information and tips about how to care for yourself during chemotherapy treatment.
What To Expect During Chemotherapy Treatment
Chemotherapy is the treatment of malignant tumors with cancer killing drugs. If you have been diagnosed with lung cancer, your doctor will prescribe a chemotherapy treatment plan for you. However, before you begin chemotherapy treament, there are many side effects you should know about.
The Side Effects of Chemotherapy
If you and your oncologist have decided that chemotherapy is the best treatment method, you should be aware of the many side effects of chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy Routes of Administration
There are four routes of administration of chemotherapy drugs. Find out what these routes are and how they are chosen. What route of administration will your chemotherapy treatment be for your lung cancer?
How Chemotherapy Drugs Kill Cancer
What types of chemotherapy treatments are available? Are there different types of chemotherapy drugs used for treating cancer? Find out about the types of chemotherapy and how these types of chemotherapy destroy cancer cells.
4 Things You Must Do Before Starting Chemotherapy
Once your lung cancer diagnosis has been confirmed and you and your doctor have decided that chemotherapy is the best treatment, you will need to prepare yourself for treatment. Find out what you need to know and do before beginning your chemotherapy treatment.
How to Prevent Infection During Chemotherapy
During chemotherapy treatment, white blood counts are low, leaving your body vulnerable to infection. These tips will help you to prevent infection during chemotherapy and recover quickly.
How to Prevent Chemotherapy Hair Loss
Chemotherapy kills more than just cancer cells. Cells responsible for hair growth are also killed - that's why people undergoing chemotherapy treatment experience hair loss. However if you follow these tips, you can reduce the amount of chemotherapy hair loss.
I Finished My Chemotherapy. So Am I Cured?
Once you've completed chemotherapy or other cancer treatment, your doctor will evaluate your cancer status. Find out what responses you may hear from your doctor and what the responses mean.
Lung Cancer Treatments
Provides a listing and description of many lung cancer treatments.
Treatment According to Stages
Find out what the four stages of lung cancer treatment are and what you can expect during your treatment.
Radiation Therapy - Risk Factors, Expectations & Complications
Discover the risk factors, expectations and complications involved in internal and external radiation therapy. Get information about post-operative care and when you should call your doctor.
Thoracotomy / Lung Surgery - Risk Factors & Expectations
A thoracotomy is a surgical procedure for opening the chest wall in order to access the lungs, esophagus, trachea, aorta, heart and diaphragm. Discover the risk factors, expectations and what you will need to do post-surgery.
Lung Transplant - Risk Factors, Expectations & Post-Operative Care
A lung transplant is a surgical procedure to remove severely diseased lungs and replace them with healthy lungs from a human donor. One or both lungs may be transplanted. Read about risk factors, expectations and the post-operative care you will need.
Lung Volume Reduction Surgery - LVRS
This is a relatively new procedure based on the observation that emphysema causes the lung to expand and compress good lung tissue. If the diseased lung tissue is removed, it will result in more room in the chest cavity for the good lung tissue to expand and carry on gas exchange.
__________________
Study Links HPV to Lung Cancer
Despite Threat of Lung Cancer, Conservatives Still Don't Want Their Kids Vaccinated
By RUSSELL GOLDMAN
April 28, 2008—
A newly published study links the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, or HPV, to lung cancer, adding lungs to the list of organs scientists say are susceptible to cancer as a result of contracting the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States.
Recent studies have found connections between HPV and cancers of the mouth and throat, but the University of Louisville study released late last week is the first to associate the infection with lung cancer.
HPV has long been known to result in cancers of the sex organs, particularly the cervix, and a vaccine targeting young women and girls was introduced in the United States in 2006.
Conservative parents and activists have condemned the vaccine, marketed under the name Gardasil, since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year, claiming it would -- like easily available condoms -- encourage young people to engage in promiscuous sex.
Those same parents and groups say the news showing a link between the virus and lung cancer, which means it could affect not only their daughters but also their sons, does not change their opposition to the drug.
At a conference this week in Geneva, Dr. Arash Rezazadeh from the University of Louisville presented the findings of the study, which found HPV in six out of 23 lung cancer samples.
"The researchers found six samples that tested positive for the presence of human papillomavirus, the virus that also causes many cases of cervical cancer. One was later shown to be a cervical cancer that had spread to the lungs," read a statement from the First European Lung Cancer Conference.
All the samples came from smokers, and authors of the study said smoking remains the most important factor in the development of lung cancer. But "the fact that five out of 22 non-small-cell lung cancer samples were HPV-positive supports the assumption that HPV contributes to the development of non-small-cell lung cancer," they said.
"We think HPV has a role as a co-carcinogen which increases the risk of cancer in a smoking population," Rezazadeh said in a statement.
Rezazadeh was in Switzerland for the conference and unavailable for comment.
According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, some 20 million Americans are infected with HPV, and another 6.2 million become newly infected every year. Some strains of the disease result in genital warts, but other strains can, over time, develop into cancer.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008, 11,070 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States.
Other HPV-related cancers include vulva, vaginal, penile and anal.
Though the study is the first to note the combined effects of smoking and HPV on the lungs, doctors have known for a while that women who smoke and contract HPV are more likely to develop cervical cancer than nonsmokers, said Dr. Lauren F. Streicher, an OB/GYN and professor at Northwestern Medical School.
"Smoking plays a key role in the rate of conversion to malignancy in cervical cancer too," she said. "Seventy to 80 percent of women are exposed to HPV, but less than 1 percent of women get cervical cancer. We know lesions on the cervix are more likely to become cancerous in smokers."
HPV is generally contracted through the skin during sex. With the exception of the one lung cancer sample that originated with cervical cancer, the mechanism by which the lungs became infected was not clear from the study.
Though the Louisville study does not discuss the efficacy of the HPV vaccine in treating lung cancer, the vaccine targets the same cancer-causing type of the virus found in the lung cancer samples -- type 16.
"Type 16 is the one that causes cancer," Streicher said. "As more of these studies are completed, we're learning that the vaccine would clearly be preventive in many different kinds of cancers, not just cervical."
Though the vaccine has been approved by the FDA, and according to Streicher, "is grounded in solid science," many conservative parents have opposed giving the vaccine to their preteen and teenage daughters, the target group for the vaccine.
"We don't need to be vaccinating children against something that can be prevented with a behavior change," said Kimberly Martinez, executive director of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, a nonprofit group that advocates teaching children not to have sex rather than to have safe sex.
"We have to teach kids values and boundaries," she said. "If you give kids the vaccine, you're giving them a license to go have sex. It's like if you teach a kid to use a condom, you know what they're going to do with it," she said.
Maria McKnight, a mother of two from Tea, S.D., said the risk of lung cancer, like the risk of cervical cancer, does not change her opposition to vaccinating her 7-year-old daughter.
"HPV is completely 100 percent preventable. I don't see the point of putting her through the risk of the vaccine," she said. "In the same way I protect my kids from lung cancer by teaching them not to smoke or do drugs, I can protect them from HPV by teaching them not to have sex."
"I'd love to see cervical cancer wiped off the planet," she said. "I've watched someone die of lung cancer and would love to see that gone too. But we're talking about stopping a sexually transmitted disease. Stopping the behavior is the best way to stop the disease."
If HPV is increasingly linked with other forms of cancer and the vaccine becomes available to boys, McKnight said she would not give her 11-year-old son the vaccine for the same reasons.
Some parents remain opposed to the vaccine, citing side effects and fears that it has not been tested thoroughly enough to know its long-term effects. When the vaccine was initially introduced, some states attempted to pass legislation making it required for children to enter school. Only Virginia has passed a law mandating the vaccine, which will go into effect next October.