By Admin at 23 Nov 2015, 08:49 AM

If you’ve seen white or pearl-colored ribbons around, they’re being hung in recognition of Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place each November. While lung cancer deaths in the United States have plateaued in recent years, it remains the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women.

Many are surprised that lung cancer is the leading cancer killer among women, because breast cancer is more common. However, although lung cancer is the second most common cancer (excluding skin cancer and trailing prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women), it’s far deadlier than breast cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, “Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.” Most cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking and trends in prevalence tend to reflect smoking patterns in any given country.

A report published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians revealed that while lung cancer is the leading cancer killer among women in developed countries, breast cancer remains the primary cancer killer in developing countries. Lead researcher Lindsey Torre, an epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society, told HealthDay News:

“ … it takes about two to three decades to see lung cancer deaths due to smoking, because lung cancer does take a long time to develop … The lung cancer deaths we are seeing today [in the United States] really have to do with smoking trends we saw in the 1970s, when women really started to pick up smoking."

The good news is that smoking rates among U.S. women have declined, and it’s likely lung cancer cases will also decline over the next three decades. Not smoking (and avoiding second-hand smoke) is the most important step you can take to lower your risk of lung cancer.

The second-leading cause of lung cancer is radon exposure – which is why it’s important to have your home tested for radon and take mitigation steps if necessary.

If you’re at high risk of developing lung cancer, such as if you’re a regular smoker (or used to be), and are between the ages of 55 and 74, a lung cancer screening test called low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) may be able to find lung cancer early even in the absence of symptoms.

Recent research found current or former smokers who received LDCT had a 16 percent lower chance of dying from lung cancer compared to those who got chest x-rays instead, so ask your physician whether this screening test may be beneficial for you.

Sources:
CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians March 2015
HealthDay News February 4, 2015
American Cancer Society, Lung Cancer, Early Detection
American Cancer Society, Lung Cancer, Key Statistics

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