How to prevent lung cancer? Lung cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and it can be difficult to know how you are going to prevent this disease.
But there are some simple steps that you can take to keep your lungs healthy and enjoy many more years with your friends and family.
Today we will explore how lung cancer develops, how you might get it, how you can prevent it.
In addition, what the symptoms are, how long people survive after diagnosis if they don’t receive treatment for their lung cancer.
This topic is most important for us. To learn more about How to prevent lung cancer, continue reading! I hope this article will assist you.
Table of Contents
What is prevention?
Prevention is a process in which you try to avoid something bad from happening. For example, if you have a headache, taking some medicine might be the best prevention for that headache.
What are the most common causes of lung cancer?
The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking, which accounts for 80% of all cases. And long-term exposure to air pollution.
Different carcinogens in cigarette smoke, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), damage the DNA inside your cells, causing them to mutate over time.
These mutations cause the cells to grow and divide quickly, which could lead to cancer. Lung cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells lining the air passages in your lungs.
Other causes are:
- Radiation to your chest.
- Exposure to asbestos or radon gas at work.
- Breathing secondhand smoke.
- Living with someone who smokes.
There are three types of lung cancers:
-small cell carcinoma (10-15%),
-non-small cell carcinomas (80-85%), and
-large cell carcinoma (<1%).
A doctor can tell if you have lung cancer by looking at your medical history and doing a physical exam. The doctor may want to do imaging.
Cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is a type of therapy that destroys cancer cells while leaving normal
Is there a cure for lung cancer?
There are various types of lung cancer, each with its diagnosis and treatment plan. However, the most common form is non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), accounting for about 80% of all lung cancers.
There is no cure for NSCLC at this time, but several treatments can help patients live longer.
There are many different types of lung cancer, yet the most common type is non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSLC) which accounts for around 80% of all cases.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure, but some treatments are available to prolong life expectancy.
Complications of Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a deadly disease. It’s important to know the potential side effects of this type of cancer. So you should prepare for them in case they happen to you or someone close to you.
The lung can cause follow-up issues, such as-.
-Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath is a condition that causes difficulty in breathing while resting or during physical activity.
If cancer develops to obstruct the primary airways, individuals with lung cancer may experience shortness of breath.
-Discomfort while swallowing
This symptom can cause by a physical obstacle that blocks food and drinks from going down the throat.
-Coughing up blood
It is not very common for lung cancer to cause coughing up blood.
Even though this complication happens in about 15% of patients, it does depend on how advanced cancer has become or how severe your symptoms are.
-Loss of appetite
Cancer can affect how people feel about eating and how their body uses food for energy.
The best way to prevent lung cancer is to quit smoking! If you or someone in your family has a history of lung problems, quitting smoking may help decrease this risk.
-Pain
Pain can cause by lung cancer if the tumour has grown to involve surrounding organs, such as the liver or pancreas. This pain is usually felt in your back, and it may progress over time.
-Fluid accumulation in the chest (pleural effusion)
It is a condition in which the pleura (the protective layer around your lungs) gets filled with fluid.
That might happen when cancer cells block lymph vessels in your lungs.
Pleural effusions might also be caused by infections, pneumonia and other diseases affecting the lung tissue.
How to prevent lung cancer?
It is a known fact that the risk of lung cancer is higher in smokers, but it can also be caused by exposure to environmental factors such as radon gas.
Although there are many ways to prevent lung cancer, quitting smoking or not starting is one of the best ways.
Here are some other alternatives:
-Stay away from tobacco and secondhand smoke
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco use is responsible for 80% of lung cancer deaths.
Since smoking has been linked to many types of cancers, it’s important to avoid exposing yourself and others around you. Not only lung cancer but other types of cancers are also caused by smoking.
Even though it can be hard to quit at first, it’s extremely important to remember how harmful smoking can be.
Staying away from secondhand smoke is also very important since this exposure increases your risk of developing lung cancer.
-Alcohol
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol is a risk factor for developing lung cancer.
It is one of the reasons why healthcare workers are at a higher risk of developing this disease.
If you drink alcohol, it’s best to limit your intake to one or two drinks per day.
-Exercise regularly
Physical activity benefits your general health, including how well the lungs function.
Although it doesn’t guarantee you will not develop lung cancer, staying active can reduce your risk of developing this type of cancer.
-Quit smoking
The best way to prevent lung cancer is to quit smoking.
If you or someone in your family has a history of lung problems, it may help decrease this risk if they quit too.
-Eat foods low in fat and rich in vitamin C
Vitamin C strengthens the immune system’s ability to fight off infections.
Vitamin C can also help to heal wounds and prevent tissues in the lungs from becoming damaged.
-Eat foods low in fat
Diets high in fatty food may increase your risk of developing lung cancer or other types of cancers, including breast cancer and colon cancer.
Including more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in your diet may help prevent cancer.
Eat various foods to get all the nutrients you need without excess fat, salt and sugar.
-Limit radiation to your chest
The American Cancer Society recommends that people follow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommendations on how much radiation exposure is safe on a given day.
People should limit their use of fluoroscopy and other types of diagnostic tests involving radiation to just what’s needed, especially if they’re getting them frequently.
-Limit your intake of processed meats
Processed foods contain preservatives, colourings and additives that may increase your risk of developing cancer.
It’s best to limit how much you eat or drink things like soda or other sweetened beverages with added sugar since this can also lead to weight gain.
-Use sunscreen when going outside
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can harm your skin and increase the risk of developing skin cancer.
Since you cannot control how much time it takes for UV radiation to damage your cells, use sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher every day.
You can find sunscreens that are specifically made for the face or your whole body.
What factors will not lower your chance of developing lung cancer?
You might have heard about the factors that can increase your risk of developing lung cancer, but what are some of the factors that will not lower your chance?
To gain a better understanding of this topic, follow along with us as we discuss the facts.
It is important to understand how to reduce their risk of developing lung cancer and what factors will not cause them to develop it.
Fortunately, smoking is the main factor that causes lung cancer; therefore, quitting or cutting back on your smoking habits can reduce your chances of developing this disease.
Other factors that do not increase your chances include-
-age,
-gender (men are more likely than women),
-occupation (you may be at a higher risk if you work around certain chemicals like asbestos) and
-previous history with other types of cancers (there may be an increased chance if you have had skin or bladder cancer).
The best way to prevent lung cancer is to avoid smoking and reduce how much alcohol you drink.
Frequently Ask Questions
How does smoking cause lung cancer?
Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers because it affects so many people. The most common way to develop lung cancer is by smoking cigarettes, releasing carcinogens into the lungs.
Cigarettes also cause other types of cancer and heart disease, making them deadly in more ways than one. It’s never too late to quit smoking for good!
Types of lung cancer
As mentioned above, there are three types of lung cancer. Such as small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and the third one is large cell carcinoma.
Small cell tumours are the most common type of lung cancer, about 80% to 90%.
Non-small cell tumours are the most commonly diagnosed. This type of tumour usually occurs in the larger airways of your lungs.
These are called non-small cell tumours because they grow into nearby tissues and organs but not into the air passages.
If you are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer, your doctor will most likely recommend a treatment plan that involves chemotherapy and radiation.
Large cell carcinoma also spreads into nearby tissues and organs, but not as often. As compared to other types of lung cancer, large cell carcinoma is less common.
The survival rates for this type are lower than that of non-small cell tumors but higher than small cell lung cancer.
Types of treatment options
Surgery is the most common type of lung cancer treatment, but it’s not usually done until cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Chemotherapy is another treatment option that your doctor may recommend if non-small cell lung cancer is notify early.
Radiation therapy has also been shown to help treat lung cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x rays or other types of radiation to kill tumour cells or stop them from growing.
Another type of treatment is called palliative care which means supportive care for people with life-threatening illnesses.
Palliative care focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of serious illness while also supporting quality of life.
Early Symptoms
The early symptoms of lung cancer may be vague and hard to detect. If you’re concerned about your body is feeling, pay attention to how you feel and how often you’re coughing.
If the cough is accompanied by blood, something much worse is likely going on. These symptoms include cough for over a month, hoarseness or voice changes that don’t go away after two weeks, trouble breathing or wheezing.
If you have been experiencing any of these symptoms for more than two weeks, make sure to visit your doctor immediately. Don’t ignore these symptoms!
Thank you for reading this post on how to prevent lung cancer. I hope you may find the solution you’re looking for here.
