10 Facts About Lung Cancer

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Here are 10 facts you may not know about your lungs and lung cancer:

• According to the American Cancer Society, there will be about 222,500 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed in the United States in 2017.
• From the American Lung Association, men are more likely to develop lung cancer than women.
• Black men are at the highest risk for lung cancer according to the American Lung Association.
• Lung cancer is often grouped into two types: non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLG). NSCLC is more common.
• There are also more rare types of lung cancer such as mesothelioma, which is often linked to asbestos exposure.
• The lungs are part of the respiratory system. When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen from the air and remove carbon dioxide from your body.
• The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has approved 5 treatments for lung cancer in 2017.
• Screening is an option for people considered at high risk for lung cancer. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s guidelines, people are considered high risk if they are between 55-74 years of age, smoked for 30 or more pack years, and quit smoking less than 15 years ago OR if they have are over 50 years old, smoked for 20 or more pack years, and have other risk factors, such as family history of lung cancer. (Pack years are equal to the number of packs smoked a day multiplied by the number of years smoking.) Talk to your doctor about lung cancer screening.
• Smoking greatly increases your risk of lung cancer, and stopping smoking can decrease your risk even if you’ve smoked for years. Learn more about the benefits of quitting and strategies for quitting at smokefee.gov.
• Pearlpoint Cancer Support provides free one-on-one nutrition consults with lung cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. If you have a lung cancer diagnosis, fill out our online form to request a consult or give us a call at (877) 467-1936 x 101.

To learn more about lung cancer, visit these resources:

American Cancer Society

American Lung Association

Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation