More men and women die from lung cancer than any other cancers. Who is most susceptible to this disease? Nearly 70 percent of the elderly 65 and older will be diagnosed with this disease. Three percent of lung cancer cases have appeared in people younger than 45 years old.Until the 1930s, cancer of the lungs was not as prevalent but still quite common. However, once there was an increase of tobacco smoking use, lung cancer cases rose drastically. As information and education circulates about the hidden dangers of smoking, lung cancer related deaths are beginning to see a decline. Despite all the education and the public awareness, it’s still a common human cancer. For women, breast cancer is no longer the number one killer. Lung cancer has exceeded breast cancer related deaths.

Lung Cancer Causes

Smoking - Most lung cancer related deaths (about 90 percent) have been associated with smoking. Each time a person smokes a cigarette, they increase their chances of getting lung cancer. Based upon doctors’ formula regarding the quantity of packs to the amount of years smoked, someone who has a 30 pack to year history has a greater chance to develop lung cancer. For those people who smoke two, three or more packs a day, statistics show that one in seven diagnosed will die from the disease. Cigarette smoking is not the only culprit to lung cancer. Cigar smoking and pipe smoking can also lead to the disease at a lower rate. Those who smoke cigars or pipe smoke are five times more likely to get lung cancer than a person who never smoked.

The smoke found in tobacco has over 4,000 element compounds. Many of these are cancer causing. Two key carcinogens are polycyclic aromatic hdrycarbons and nitrosamines. Once a person has given up tobacco use, lung cancer risks decreases every year. Normal cells will begin to grow and outnumber damaged lung cells. After 15 years of not smoking, lung processes and the threat of the disease gets close to that of someone who has never smoked.

Passive Smoking - What is passive smoking? This is when people who are in close quarters smokers breathe in the smoke filled air. Those who don’t smoke have a 24 percent likelihood to develop lung cancer if they live with a smoker. Nearly 3,000 deaths can be associated with passive smoking.

Asbestos Fibers - Mesothelioma and lung cancer through asbestos exposure is high. People who work in asbestos related fields and smoke dramatically increase their chances of getting a lung cancer connected disease. When compared with their non smoking counterparts, they have a 50 to 90 percent greater risk of getting lung cancer or other lung related illness.

Radon Gas - Radon gas has been documented to be the next leading cause in lung cancer deaths, killing anywhere from 15,000 to 22,000 people in the United States every year. Like asbestos exposure, radon exposure augments lung cancer risks. The gas is able to travel through soil. It can gain entrance into homes by the gaps found in its foundation, its drains and its pipes. Nearly one in 15 homes is found with dangerous level of radon gas according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Can a person tell if their home has high amounts of radon gas? Only by a kit. The gas cannot be smelled, nor can be it seen.

Genetics - It’s true that most cases of lung cancer can be linked back to smoking. However, not every smoker will get the disease. That means other factors like genetics could play a part behind the causes of lung cancer. Studies have revealed that cancer can and does occur in families that have smokers and nonsmokers. It would seem a gene can increase the vulnerability of smokers in getting lung cancer.

Lung Diseases - When a smoker or even non smoker has other lung diseases such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), they are at an increased risk to develop the disease even if they quit smoking and all the effects have worn away.

History of Lung Disease - People with a record of lung cancer are at a higher risk of developing it a second time. People who have survived a non-small cell lung cancers have a one to two percent risk to getting the disease a second time while those who have beaten small cell lung cancers have a six percent increase each year.

Air Pollution - The chances of getting lung cancer from air pollution is raised in individuals that breathe in polluted air every day. Pollution from cars, power plants and industrialized areas increases these risks. Yet, they only account for one percent of lung cancer related deaths. Experts have suggested that every day exposure to air heavily polluted can be compared to passive smoking.

Mesothelioma is cancer that affects the mesothelium which is the lining or membrane that protects and covers most of the internal organs in the body cavity. The first layer encircles the organ and the second layer forms a sac for protection. There is a lubricating fluid present between the layers to facilitate movement. The mesothelium is called pericardium when it covers the heart, pleura when covering the lungs and peritoneum when covering the abdominal organs.In mesothelioma there is uncontrolled cell division which leads to the extra cell masses invading the nearby tissues and organs and causing damage. Mostly it is observed that mesothelioma begins in the pleura or the peritoneum. The cancer then metastasizes to other parts of the body.

Mesothelioma occurs mostly due to exposure to asbestos. This is considered to be the major risk factor. 70% to 80% of sufferers have a history of exposure to asbestos. There are exceptions to this and cases have been reported where asbestos exposure was found not to exist. The condition is more common in men as compared to women. It has also been found that risk increases with age.

Mesothelioma is a very rare. Mostly said to be associated with workplace exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a collection of minerals that can be made to exist as strong masses of sheets or flexible fibers. It is widely used in industrial products like cement, roofs, flooring products, textiles, brake linings and insulation. Tiny particles of asbestos float in the air and can be inhaled or swallowed by the people exposed to it like the workers in manufacturing companies etc.

Continuous exposure over a period can lead to asbestosis. Exposure to asbestosis increases the risk of developing mesothelioma and other types of cancer like that of kidney and larynx. There are acceptable levels of asbestos exposure that have been brought into effect in workplaces using the mineral. Another very interesting aspect of mesothelioma is that family members of people exposed asbestos in their work place show an increased incidence of this cancer as compared to others. This has been attributed to the fact that the remnants of asbestos particles adhering to the clothes, hair etc when brought home can expose the family members to it.

The cancer takes around thirty to forty years to surface. The initial symptoms include shortness of breath, and pain in the chest if it is the pleura that are affected. If the cancer is in the peritoneum then there is weight loss, abdominal swelling and pain, fluid accumulation in the abdomen, bowel obstruction. Fever, anemia and blood clotting irregularities have also been observed. In severe cases there is swelling of the neck and face, trouble swallowing and severe pain.

Diagnosis of mesothelioma is very difficult since there are no specific symptoms. A medical history review would be very valuable since asbestos exposure needs to be determined. X rays of chest, abdomen, lung function tests, scans, MRI are the usual tools that help in confirming the diagnosis. Biopsy is done for the final confirmation and treatment includes chemotherapy and radiations.

To Your Health!

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is found usually among men who are advanced in years. This type of cancer is caused from the effects of exposure to asbestos ad as a result affects the membranes of our vital organs such as the heart and lungs. Mesothelioma cancer is not very easy to diagnose due to the fact that the symptoms this type of cancer presents are very similar to other diseases that are much more common.

Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common form of this disease and as a direct result accounts for around 75% of all cases of this disease. This type of cancer (Pleural Mesothelioma) attacks and affects the lining of the lungs and presents common symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, chest pains, difficulty in swallowing and even weight loss. As we have said, these symptoms are very common to other diseases but anyone who has any of them we would strongly suggest consulting their doctor right away just to be on the safe side.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

One of the less common forms of Mesothelioma is called Peritoneal Mesothelioma and this type of cancer affects the abdomen. Peritoneal Mesothelioma cancer affects the abdominal lining and frequently found in people who have been exposed to asbestos and accounts for around 20% of all Mesothelioma cases. Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma are as follows: abdominal pains, abdominal swelling, weight loss, loss of appetite, weakness and nausea.

People who have worked with asbestos or have been exposed to the substance are at risk of developing the disease. One of the most important things that we should remember when dealing with this type of cancer is speed. Early diagnosis of the disease is of utmost importance so that it can be treated quickly. With time being of importance when dealing with Mesothelioma, the earlier it is discovered the more chance we have of success in its treatment.