It’s on every pack of cigarettes sold in this country in one form or another. “Surgeon General Warning: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy.” And according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) the number of U.S. adults aged 18 and older who smoke cigarettes is now down to 17.8 percent. Public service announcements, warnings and education classes are everywhere warning of the dangers of smoking with its accompanying health risks.
In spite of this, the numbers concerning smoking and lung cancer are still alarming. Approximately 200,000 people in the United States in 2010 were diagnosed with lung cancer, and almost 160,000 died of the disease, according to the National Vital Statistics Report. The other way to look at it is that more than 42 million people in the United States are still smokers, and more than 16 million live with a smoking related disease. Cigarette smoking is still the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for more than one in five deaths-more than half a million per year.
Tobacco smoke is the leading cause of lung cancer. Four out of five cases of lung cancer are directly attributable to smoking. Secondhand smoke exposure is also associated with a higher risk of lung cancer, and many of us are old enough to remember when smoking was a part of all airline flights. Although there were “smokers’ rows,” the smoke was rarely smart enough to confine itself to just those sections on an enclosed plane. Since the average age of most who are affected by lung cancer is in the late 60s, the effects of even more prevalent smoking from years ago are still manifesting themselves today.
Luckily, smokers seem to be slowly shifting towards vaping instead, which is considered a much healthier (although not entirely healthy) alternative. Vapes contain none of the harmful substances found in cigarettes, but they do still contain nicotine. So, whilst it’s much better for your lungs, vapers are still at risk of nicotine addiction. CBD vape oil does offer an alternative to nicotine, however, and is commonly used for reducing anxiety levels. In this way, we may begin to see a shift away from nicotine altogether, towards more medicinal products such as CBD.
Tobacco smoke is not the only risk for lung cancer. Exposure to radon gas makes up a little more than 10 percent of cases. Likewise, exposure to asbestos is a slow ticking time bomb that results in much higher risks of lung cancer. People living in densely populated cities have a higher risk of lung cancer, and while stopping smoking is good for you, the risks never fully evaporate. Lung cancer also occurs in non-smokers, and genetic and familial factors as well as exposure to pollutants and toxins that may not be documented are the highest in suspicion.
The two major types of lung cancer are small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Non-small cell cancer is also known as squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma, and accounts for about three-quarters of the cases. Small cell cancer comprises about 20 percent and is almost exclusively a disease of former smokers. Benign lung tumors make up the outstanding amount. They are more prevalent in younger people and their cause is not fully known.
Lung cancer is difficult in that those who have the disease generally have symptoms when it is found. Cough, bloody sputum, chest pain and wheezing are some of the most common presentations. Weight loss, shortness of breath and signs of coexistent emphysema may first lead to the diagnosis. In late stages symptoms can be caused by the spread of the tumor to other body organs (metastatic disease). A normal x-ray of the chest or the appearance of lung nodules doesn’t completely rule out lung cancer. Blood findings, clinical presentation and CT scanning are the mainstays of diagnosis. Sputum cytology may also show cancer cells. A biopsy, whether directly or by means of a bronchoscope passed into the lungs, helps treating doctors and oncologists come up with the best management plan.
Sadly, the prognosis for lung cancer remains bleak if the disease is found in an advanced stage or has spread to distant sites. Stages 3 and 4 lung cancers, which also include when the tumor has caused other organs to secrete inappropriate hormones into the system, have five-year survival rates, despite all treatment being in the 5 percent range. Five-year survival rates for those with local disease can be as high as 50 percent when the disease is caught early and amenable to surgical removal. Associated chemotherapy and radiotherapy are given to prolong survival when the disease is thought to be more widespread.
Can lung cancer cases be insured? Those with stage 1 disease who have passed through an appreciable period without recurrence may be offered insurance as quickly as three years post surgery and be eligible for standard rates further down the line if there are no other associated diseases of smoking (emphysema, heart disease, etc.).
Stage 2 cancers may have to wait a much longer period until the occurrence of the disease is remote. Stage 3 and 4 are generally uninsurable at any time. Of course inherent in all this is that good overall general health must be maintained, and applicants must have become complete nonsmokers from the time of diagnosis and treatment.
