Nov. is Lung Cancer Awareness Month
The American Cancer Society promotes local and nationwide activities, like the Great American Smoke out, to help educate people and to provide them with resources to help conquer their smoking habit. This year’s Great American Smoke out is scheduled for November 18.
Cancer is defined as a group of diseases that are characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. With lung cancer, because of the rapidly dividing abnormal cells the lung is no longer able to function properly and these cells eventually grow out of the lung and affect surrounding healthy tissue. When the cancer metastasizes to surrounding tissue, treatment options are more severely limited and quality of life is greatly affected. Occupational exposure to carcinogens like asbestos, tobacco smoke, radiation, viruses, and chemicals or a family history of lung cancer often lead to a diagnosis of lung cancer. Usually the cancer is found when the patient becomes symptomatic with a continuous, annoying cough which may produce blood-tinged sputum. Some patients experience weight loss, a lack of energy or shortness of breath. A chest X-ray is normally ordered to determine the cause for these complaints and a mass or abnormality may be found. This usually precipitates a diagnostic work-up to determine if the cause of the symptomology is benign or malignant.
Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center implemented a “Lung Mass” Clinic to perform work-up on patients with existing abnormal lung X-ray findings, and to diagnose and arrange treatment for these findings as quickly as possible. The clinic is comprised of an interdisciplinary team which includes services from Pulmonary, Cardiology, Cardio- Thoracic Surgery, Pathology, Medical and Radiological Oncology and referring Primary Care physicians.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States. Nearly twice as many women die of lung cancer than of breast cancer. Approximately 85% of all lung cases occur as a result of smoking or a history of smoking. A small number of cases are as a result of second-hand smoking exposure and a family history of lung cancer is also a consideration when diagnosing a lung abnormality. Treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of these treatments. With the onset of new targeted treatments for lung cancer patients, the anticipation is that outcomes will improve as will quality of life.
Prevention and early detection are the key components to reducing the number of deaths from lung cancer. Eisenhower’s Health and Wellness Center offers tobacco cessation classes. The classes are experiencing record enrollments with requests to add additional classes. Please consider enrolling in a class or talk to your provider about what resources are available to help you quit smoking. For more informaton on smoking cessation call the Health and Wellness Center at (706) 787-6756.
[Via-fortgordonsignal.com]
Related posts:
