Lung Cancer facts

Lung cancer facts

• Lung cancer is the number one cause ofcancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S. and worldwide.
• Cigarette smoking is the principal risk factor for development of lung cancer.
• Passive exposure to tobacco smoke also can cause lung cancer.
• The two types of lung cancer, which grow and spread differently, are the small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC).
• The stage of lung cancer refers to the extent to which the cancer has spread in the body.
• Treatment of lung cancer can involve a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, andradiation therapy as well as newer experimental methods.
• The general prognosis of lung cancer is poor because doctors tend not to find the disease until it is at an advanced stage. Five-year survival is 40%-50% for early stage lung cancer, but only 1%-5% in advanced, inoperable lung cancer.
• Smoking cessation is the most important measure that can prevent the development of lung cancer.