November Is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM), a national campaign dedicated to increasing awareness to the issues created by various types of lung cancer. Those involved bring the much needed support and attention to people who suffer from the deadly disease.

You can help participate by drawing attention to lung cancer and mesothelioma in your community. Visit the Lung Cancer Alliance online to learn more or simply share the information in this Hub with others. Lung cancer is a deadly disease that kills thousands each year. Spread the word and together we can make a difference.

The great American writer, Mark Twain, once said regarding smoking that quitting smoking was easy; he knew because he had done it a thousand times.

Many people associate lung cancer with smoking. And though it is true that the majority of lung cancers are associated with smoking, many who develop the types of the disease have never smoked.

One type of lung cancer not caused by cigarette smoking is pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma cancer occurs in the mesothelium, the lining covering internal organs which move, such as the lungs and the heart. The mesothelium itself is made up of two layers—one the outer sac, and the other surrounding the organs themselves. Between the two layers, fluid is found, which lubricates and allows the organs to move without friction.

Pleural mesothelioma cancer makes up over 80 percent of all mesothelioma cancers. The cancer cells themselves are found surrounding the lungs inside the wall of the chest.

Exposure to asbestos is the primary causative factor for mesothelioma. Patients who have developed the disease may have worked in a factory or other place where asbestos fibers were present and were inhaled unknowingly.

Mesothelioma may remain latent and without symptoms for 20 to 40 or more years. Mesothelioma patients come from all over the U.S., but mesothelioma cancer is found in greater numbers in those regions of the country where asbestos mines were in operation, where factories were located where asbestos was a part of the manufacturing process, or in areas where shipbuilding took place, especially during World War II.

Asbestos was used throughout the Viet Nam era and into the late 70’s. However, the use of asbestos has been restricted since that time, but the cancer-causing material remains in military barracks and other buildings, and in thousands of older homes where there remains a risk of exposure during remodeling, demolition, or asbestos removal.

• Lung cancer of all types, including pleural mesothelioma cancer is the number one cause of death in America.
• According to the National Center for Disease Control, nearly 200,000 individuals are diagnosed with lung cancer each year in the United States.
• Every day, 437 people die in the U.S. as the consequence of contracting cancer of the lungs.
• Nearly twice as many women die from developing lung cancer as those who die as the result of breast cancer.
• One out of every three deaths attributed to cancer is due to lung cancer.
• One in five women and one in 12 men who have been diagnosed with lung cancer never smoked in their lives.
• The five-year survival rate for those diagnosed with lung cancer was just 13.2 percent; today that rate has not improved significantly—only 15 percent of those diagnosed with lung cancer survive five years or more.

According to the Lung Cancer Alliance, risks for developing lung cancer include the following:

• Radon—Those exposed to the radioactive gas radon ,which can be contained inside homes and businesses, have an increased risk of contracting lung cancer.
• Asbestos—Those who have been exposed to asbestos fibers have a heightened risk of developing cancer of the lining of the lungs known as pleural mesothelioma.
• Cigarette smoke—Smoking causes the cells of lung tissue to change, thus leading to lung cancer. Former smokers, even though they have stopped smoking, are still at a more elevated risk for developing lung cancer than those who have never smoked. The longer the duration of the period of smoking in one’s lifetime and the number of packs smoked per day increases the risk of lung cancer.
• Aging and scarring of the lungs from some types of pneumonia may contribute to the development of lung cancer.
• Family history has also been found to be a contributing factor.

Patients with lung cancer or pleural mesothelioma often suffer no early symptoms that would alert them and their doctors to the presences of the disease. Also, symptoms are typically similar to those of other more common medical conditions.

When symptoms of lung cancer or pleural mesothelioma cancer eventually appear they can include the following:

• Dyspnea—shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing
• Coughing—the most common symptom, but one easily confused with other ailments
• Coughing up blood
• Wheezing
• Fatigue and a general feeling of malaise
• Pain in the chest region, possibly extending to the upper back, shoulder, or arm
• Recurring cases of bronchitis or pneumonia
• Weight loss due to loss of appetite
• Becoming hoarse or developing a husky voice
• Problems with swallowing called dysphagia
• Difficulty sleeping
• Facial swelling or swelling of the neck
• Excess fluid buildup in or around the lungs known as pleural effusion
• Fever

When the signs/symptoms of lung cancer or pleural mesothelioma are present, your doctor may recommend the following:

• CT scan—CT (computed tomography) scans are a type of X-ray which use a computer, not film, in order to create detailed images of internal organs.
• MRI—MRI’s (magnetic resonance imaging) use magnetism and radio waves along with a computer in order to create a clear image without the use of radiation.
• X-rays—A chest X-ray yields an image of the lungs which may show abnormal changes in the lungs themselves.
• Complete blood count in order to detect levels of specific proteins
• Biopsy—Your doctor removes a tissue sample from the tumor.
• Aspiration of fluid—Your doctor may need to aspirate or draw fluid from a tumor or from the pleura of the lungs in order to confirm the diagnosis.
• The use of special staining techniques
• Thoracoscopy—Inserting a small flexible tube into the area where the tumor is located
• Thoracotomy—opening the chest to remove a tissue sample or remove the visible tumor itself

Patients who have developed lung cancer or pleural mesothelioma often receive multiple types of treatment which may involve surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Patients may elect to participate in clinical trials which study new potential treatment options.