Lung Cancer: Fast Facts

Reviewed By:
Martin E. Liebling, M.D., FACP

• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women worldwide.
  
  
• About 87 percent of lung cancers are due to tobacco products, either through direct smoking or passive exposure to smoking, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
  
  
• Men have a slightly greater chance of developing lung cancer (1 in 13) compared to women, who have a 1 in 17 chance. Lung cancer will account for 12 percent of all new cases of cancer.
  
  
• There are two basic types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The type of lung cancer is important because it affects how the disease is treated. Most cases of lung cancer are NSCLC, which generally grows more slowly than SCLC.
  
  
• NSCLC can be divided into subtypes, such as adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma.
  
  
• Common symptoms of lung cancer include persistent cough (often called smoker's cough), breathing problems, blood in sputum, pneumonia and other respiratory infections, chest pain, weight loss and fatigue.
  
  
• Tests such as ultrasound, MRI, CAT scans and PET scans can be used to assess how far tumors have spread. Bone scans may be performed to determine metastasis to the bones. Needle biopsy is performed to obtain a sample of the cells for microscopic examination.
  
  
• If the cancer is detected early and remains confined to the lung, surgery may be an option.
  
  
• For lung cancer that has spread, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are standard treatment methods.
  
  
• Small cell lung cancer, which metastasizes quickly, can also be treated with brain radiation to prevent spreading of the cancer to the brain.
  
  
• About 60 percent of the people diagnosed with lung cancer will die within one year of their diagnosis. Within two years, 70 to 80 percent will die from the disease.
  
  
• Currently, there are about 330,000 individuals who have survived lung cancer.
  
  
• Not all smokers get lung cancer. Studies by the National Institutes of Health estimate that you have about a 20 percent chance of developing lung cancer if you are a smoker.