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Myths about Lung cancer

Best lung cancer treatment in Bangalore | Dr Murali Subramanian

Scary claims are circulated on the internet. Forget the internet, even just plain word of mouth coming from your friends and family are not always true. Beyond being false, these misconceptions cause immeasurable stress to your health and gets you worried about your loved ones as well. Before panicking please learn about these conditions and stay away from such claims

Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. When cancer develops in the lungs, it is called lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer in both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. 

There is a common perception that cigarette smoking is the only cause of Lung Cancer.

It is very fair to assume that it is true, it is the #1 risk factor but people fail to understand that Smoking is not the only cause.

Though smoking has been the leading cause of lung cancer, there have been occurrences amongst non-smokers as well. Take passive smoking for example. Various occupational hazards also cause Lung Cancer like exposure to Radon and other toxic gases.

We all are aware that Smoking is the #1 risk factor for Lung Cancer. But let me tell you why.

Cigarette smoke contains over 60 known carcinogens, including radioisotopes from the radon decay sequence, nitrosamine, and benzopyrene. Additionally, nicotine appears to depress the immune response to cancerous growths in exposed tissue.

Smoking is a very local irritant. The lungs tend to respond to this chronic irritation, and the cells change. And during this growth change they learn to keep growing effectively which causes trouble. It is precisely because of this uncontrollable growth, it eventually becomes cancer and it prevails.  

It also affects the DNA, damaging it to a great extent. Through multiple mutations over time, these DNA mutations cause uncontrollable cell growth leading to cancer and cancer metastasis.
Smoking is not just a risk factor for Smokers alone. Passive smoking also has a great deal of effect in rendering one diagnosed with lung cancer.

Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke resulting from another person smoking nearby. It is a known cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. 

It is estimated, those who live with smokers have a 20-30% higher risk while those in second hand smoke environments have 16-19% higher risk compared to non-smokers who are away from such environments.

So it’s not just smoking, it is also advised to stay as far away as possible from such environments.

Although people who never smoked or lived in a second hand smoke environment have still been diagnosed with Lung Cancer. It can be because of Inherited cancer risks which we call hereditary cancer risks

It is very unlucky to be diagnosed with lung cancer due to an inherited risk. But one needs to be aware of such conditions as family history to have an edge over diagnosing Lung Cancer as early as possible. Various Genomic tests are available for the same reason, to stay ahead and understand the cancer risks one can inherit.

The numbers might be staggering, but being diagnosed with Lung Cancer doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. 

Early treatment and timely diagnosis is important and one can always avoid paying the heavy price. It is important to remember, we live in an era of advanced technology. Treatment options are available for all stages of Lung Cancer, including Stage 4. Both curative and palliative treatment types are available depending on the condition.

People often assume, quitting smoking once you are diagnosed with Lung Cancer doesn’t really matter. Please understand, it is never too late to quit smoking. 

You can with great effect reduce the risks of lung cancer if you aren’t diagnosed in the first place. And if you, please remember some of the treatment options like Chemotherapy will be hindered hopelessly if you don’t decide to quit smoking. Smoking is completely counterproductive to any progress and condition in health.

Please remember, Lung Cancer never favors any age group. While the average age group lay between 54-64, it can be fatal for people of all ages. Staying away from the high-risk factors is of the highest importance for anyone.

Conclusion

Let’s all stay aware about the condition and right away kill all the misconceptions and superstitions towards one of the deadliest cancers. Myths around any cancer only create panic and that’s the last thing a cancer patient or someone with a greater risk of diagnosing cancer needs.

Book your appointment with Dr. Murali Subramanian for Best lung cancer treatment in Bangalore today: +91 9686418750.