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Understanding Lung Cancer -- An Overview
Introduction
Lung cancer remains the most frequent
causer of cancer death in the world. Approximately 150,000 patients
are killed by lung cancer annually in the United States. Lung cancer
death accounts for about 30% of all cancer deaths. In the past few
years, lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the number one cause of
cancer death in women, and its incidence rates continue to increase in
female patients.
These are distressing figures given
the fact that lung cancer would be rare if not for cigarette smoking.
More than 80% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Other
important causes of lung cancer include exposure to asbestos and Radon.
Lung cancer represents a major health
problem not only in the United States, but also worldwide. Most lung
cancers begin to grow silently, without any symptoms. Patients with lung
cancer often do not develop symptoms until the cancer is in an advanced
stage. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy has all be utilized in
the treatment of lung carcinoma. However, the overall survival of all lung
cancer patients are essentially unchanged in the past two decades.
This information booklet has been
written to help you understand more about carcinoma of the lung. We hope it
answers some of the questions you may have about its diagnosis and
treatment, and addresses some of the feelings which are a large part of
anyone's reaction to the diagnosis of lung cancer.
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