Lung cancer is the malignant tumor that affects the lungs and is the second most common type of cancer. Even though it is second in terms of prevalence among the various types of cancers, it stands first as far as the death of the patient is concerned among the cancers.
This is because lung cancer is very hard to detect in the early stages and is very difficult to treat. Even though the mortality rate of lung cancer for men have dropped in the past few years it still high among women. Smoking is considered as one of the major reason for lung cancer.
In addition air pollution, presence of arsenic in drinking water, radon gas, asbestos, heredity, exposure to radiation therapy, exposure to certain chemicals like uranium, gasoline, beryllium, coal products, vinyl chloride mustard gas etc also makes the people vulnerable to lung cancer.
The air that we breathe through the nose goes down through windpipe which is otherwise called trachea and reaches lungs where it splits and spreads by means of small tubes called bronchi. Usually lung cancer develops from the cells that lines the bronchi and is more common in people above 45 years.
There are two types of lung cancer called small cell lung cancer that is common in people who smoke and the other type of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer which is the most common kind of lung cancer. Passive smoking which is also called as secondhand smoking is also injurious to health and may lead to lung cancer if constantly exposed to.
Anything that enhances the risk of getting lung cancer is called risk factors while that decreases the chances of getting lung cancer is called protective factors. By avoiding the risk factors and by adapting the protective factors one can reduce the chances of lung cancer.
Difficulty Level
Preventing lung cancer by means of increasing the protective factors and eliminating the risk factors is a simple job but it does not guarantee full protection from lung cancer as certain hereditary risk factors can’t be avoided.
Instructions
Completely quit smoking if you are a smoker because around 80% of the lung cancer deaths are due to smoking and if you face any problem in quitting smoking then consult a doctor who can assist you with stop smoking aids and options such as nicotine replacement products like lozenges, gum, sprays, medicated nicotine inhalers, antidepressant therapy, support groups and even medications.
Smoke contains a lot of carcinogens that interrupts the normal cellular development and leads to cancerous growth in the lungs. For a person who quit smoking the chances of developing lung cancer depends on how many years he smoked and how much he smoked. However the risk reduces considerably as long as he does not start smoking again and the lungs recover with time. Most of the people starts to smoke from their teenage hence make your child understand the risk of smoking from an early age itself.
Secondhand smoking is also injurious hence if your partner is having a habit of smoking then force him/her to quit smoking. Similarly urge your co-workers to quit smoking or ask them to smoke outside the building. Also try to avoid the areas where people smoke so that the chances of passive smoking can be minimized.
Test the working place and home for carcinogenic agents such as radon, asbestos, chromium, arsenic, tar, nickel, soot etc that increases the risk for getting lung cancer even in non-smokers. Uranium breaks down to produce radon which is a radioactive gas that can’t be felt, tasted or smelled. Uranium that occurs naturally in the soil breaks down to radon and buildup in the houses or building constructed above or close to the natural uranium deposits and exposes the people to high level of indoor radon leading to lung cancer.
The presence of such carcinogenic agents in combination with cigarette smoking increases the chances for getting lung cancer. Usually employers are mandated to inform their employees who works in the mine, radioactive plants or in any such harmful working conditions about the exposure of such chemicals in the working environment and suggest the protective measures also. In such cases follow the protective measures strictly and also consult a doctor and take his recommendations also to protect oneself from the lung cancer. Many of the countries are now adopting measures to avoid the presence of cancer causing agents in the public and working areas.
Diet: A well balanced diet plays a major role in keeping the lung cancer at bay. Include more vegetables and fruits in the diet as the vitamins, minerals, beta-carotene, antioxidants etc in them provide power to fight cancer and improve the immunity of the person. The antioxidants and flavonoids in fruits and vegetables repair the damaged cells and protect the DNA of the cell and thus avoid cancer. Broccoli is a good vegetable that can be taken either raw or steamed and it contains anti carcinogenic components.
Similarly garlic that contains sulfur compounds stimulates the immune system to fight the cancer and cancer causing agents and may even reduce the growth of the tumor. Also limit the intake of alcohol to not more than one drink a day. Many researches have shown that in take of vitamin E, beta-carotene and retinoid supplements actually increase the risk of having lung cancer among the smokers. Hence following an ideal diet is a best option to protect from cancer.
Exercise: Do exercises daily for at least 30 minutes for six days a week. Walking, swimming, cycling etc are good exercises that improve the strength as well as the immune system of an individual. Those who are physically active and smoke have lower risk of developing lung cancer as compared to those who are not physically active and do not smoke.
Even though all the members of a group of people are exposed to a particular risk factor some of them will be more sensitive to the risk factors than others and develop lung cancer. Hence taking a yearly X-ray is ideal for those who have a family history of developing lung cancer or who had the habit of smoking or exposed any other carcinogenic substances. Chest X-ray helps to screen the lungs and diagnose lung cancer at an early stage and necessary treatments can then be followed.
Photo Credit: Mylungcancerguide.com
How To Prevent Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the malignant tumor that affects the lungs and is the second most common type of cancer. Even though it is second in terms of prevalence among t
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