Lung Cancer Killing More Women Than Breast Cancer

Sad but true, approximately 80,000 women will die from lung cancer this year while 42,000 will die from breast cancer. This has been the trend since 1987.

Smoking and Other Risks

Smoking increases the risk for lung cancer. Eighty-seven percent of cases are smoking related. Women who smoke two or more packs of cigarettes per day increases the risks up to 20 times higher than among women who do not smoke. Quitting will reduce your risk significantly.

Other risk factors: second-hand smoke; radon and asbestos; exposure to certain industrial substances; some organic chemicals; radiation exposure from occupational, medical and environmental sources; air pollution; tuberculosis.

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms may take years to appear which may be confused with less serious conditions. Many times this disease will not make itself known until it reaches an advanced stage.

The following are common respiratory signs and symptoms:

Smoker's cough that persists or becomes intense
Wheezing
Recurrent pneumonia or bronchitis
Difficult or labored breathing
Shortness of breath
Hoarseness

Below are common non-respiratory signs and symptoms:

Chronic fatigue
Loss of appetite
Headache, bone pain, aching joints
Neck and facial swelling
Unexplained weight loss

Diagnosis

Early detection is the best chance of survival. There are a number of different tests used to determine the type and stage of the cancer and the best way to treat it:

Physical Examination. Detects swollen lymph nodes in the neck or collarbone.

Chest Examination. Provides information about abnormal breathing sounds or patterns.

Chest X-ray. Helps identify abnormal growths.

CT scan. Also known as a CAT scan, reveals more detail than x-rays.

PET scan. Finds cancerous tumors.

MRI. Similar to a CT scan.

Sputum cytology. Checks coughed-up phlegm from lungs under a microscope for abnormal or cancerous cells.

Bronchoscopy. Views lungs through a hollow, flexible tube that is passed through the nose and throat into the main airway of the lungs.

Biopsy. Removal of lung tissue sample for examination under microscope.

Funds Needed

Lung cancer is not receiving the funds necessary for research.

Comparatively, $1,700 is spent per lung cancer death while $14,000 for breast cancer, $10,000 for prostate cancer and $5,000 for colorectal cancer.

The Department of Defense fund research for breast, ovarian and prostate cancers but does not fund research for lung cancer.

Feedback obtained from 205 physicians from 35 countries agreed that the two most important factors in improving survival rates were more research funding into detection methods and more government funding for treatments.

Typically, women's groups place abortion, breast cancer and birth control as top issues, leaving little funding or support for lung cancer. This must change because this type of cancer is playing a major role in women's health.