This year, close to 160,000 Americans are predicted to die from lung cancer. If the statistics hold true, nearly 24,000 of them will never have smoked, the most common factor we recognize as leading to lung cancer. So, how did they get it?
A number of factors have proven to be present in non-smoking cases of lung cancer. Unfortunately, mainly because it never occurred to patients who never smoked that they could be diagnosed with cancer, those cases tend to go undiagnosed until the disease is fairly progressed. The mortality rate for non-smoker lung cancer is pretty dire.
So, how did they get lung cancer?
The leading cause of non-smoker lung cancer is radon gas, which accounts for about 80 percent of cases. Radon is a radioactive, tasteless, odorless gas that occurs naturally in soil and rock. Of most concern, it has been shown to seep into homes from the ground below. According to a 2007 EPA study, which tested homes in seven states, one in three had high levels of the gas “” high enough that its radioactivity is 35 times the amount the government allows at nuclear waste sites.
Occupational agents, like asbestos and diesel exhaust are other causes. While governmental action has reduced their prevalence in recent years, it hasn’t eradicated the threat. Nor have EPA efforts at cutting air pollution, another cause of non-smoker lung cancers. Governmental efforts to curb smoking in public places have reduced the number of cancer cases related to second-hand smoke, but nearly 3,000 deaths each year are still attributed to it.
Bottom line ““ you don’t have to smoke to get lung cancer, and the earlier it’s detected the more treatable it is. So, even if you don’t smoke, these signs could be indications of a serious problem:
- A cough you can’t shake or a cough that changes. With cold weather making its return, you may chalk your cough up to a cold. But if that cough hasn’t gone away in a couple of weeks, it becomes hoarser, or you begin coughing up more mucus, it’s time to check with your doctor.
- Breathing changes or wheezing. Shortness of breath or a whistling sound when you breathe can be a sign that cancer has inflamed your lung lining or blocked an airway. Shortness of breath from normal activities like bringing in groceries from the car or carrying laundry upstairs shouldn’t be ignored, either.
- Chest pain. A growing tumor may produce pain in your chest, shoulder or back. While you may attribute an ache to constant coughing, be aware of where your pain is located, how it presents itself and how long it lingers. If it lasts for more than a few days, it’s time to get checked out.
- A change in your voice. A lung cancer tumor can often affect the nerve that controls your larynx, making your voice sound raspy or hoarse. The same effect can attributed a cold, but “” again “” if it persists for more than a few weeks, see your doctor.
- Unexplained weight loss. The loss of 10 pounds or more without trying should be a red flag that something’s wrong. It may be cancer, which sometimes saps energy from your body and leads to unexplained weight losses.
Time is of the essence. If caught early, lung cancer’s survival rate is 40 to 50 percent. If you ignore the signs and aren’t diagnosed until the cancer is advanced, that survival rate drops below five percent.
