Prevention of Lung Cancer
Prevention
Doctors can not always explain why one person gets cancer and another does not. However, scientists have studied general patterns of cancer in the population to learn what things around us and what things we do in our lives may increase our chance of developing cancer.
Anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor; anything that decreases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a protective factor. Some of the risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many can not.
For example, although you can choose to quit smoking, you can not choose which genes you have inherited from your parents. Both smoking and inheriting specific genes could be considered risk factors for certain kinds of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Prevention means avoiding the risk factors and increasing the protective factors that can be controlled so that the chance of developing cancer decreases.
Although many risk factors can be avoided, it is important to keep in mind that avoiding risk factors does not guarantee that you will not get cancer. Also, most people with a particular risk factor for cancer do not actually get the disease. Some people are more sensitive than others to factors that can cause cancer. Talk to your doctor about methods of preventing cancer that might be effective for you.
Purposes of this summary
The purposes of this summary on lung cancer prevention are to:
- Give information on lung cancer and how often it occurs.
- Describe lung cancer prevention methods.
- Give current facts about which people or groups of people would most likely be helped by following lung cancer prevention methods.
You can talk to your doctor or health care professional about cancer prevention methods and whether they would be likely to help you.
Lung Cancer Prevention
The lungs are part of the respiratory system. Their function is to supply oxygen to the blood while removing carbon dioxide.
Lung cancer may spread to the lymph nodes or other tissues in the chest (including the other lung). In many cases, lung cancer may also spread to other organs of the body, such as the bones, brain, or liver.
Significance of lung cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in U.S. men and women.
Lung cancer prevention
Lung cancer can often be associated with known risk factors for the disease. Many risk factors are modifiable though not all can be avoided.
Tobacco: Studies show that smoking tobacco products in any form is the major cause of lung cancer. Environmental, or second-hand, tobacco smoke is also implicated in causing lung cancer. Many products, such as nicotine gum, nicotine sprays, or nicotine inhalers, may be helpful to people trying to quit smoking. In addition, a number of efforts at the community, state, and national level have helped to reduce smoking rates.
Beta Carotene: Studies show that beta carotene use in relatively high-intensity smokers increases the risk of lung cancer.
Chemoprevention: Chemoprevention is the use of specific natural or man-made drugs to reverse, suppress, or prevent cancer growth. Chemoprevention is an area of active clinical research. It has not yet become standard therapy.
Other risk factors for lung cancer include asbestos and radon exposure.
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