Lung Cancer Alerts
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Prognosis for Patients With Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer Stages
Prevention of Lung Cancer
Chemotherapy as a Lung Cancer Treatment Option
Radiation Photodynamic and Cryosurgery Treatment for Lung Cancer
Smoking as a Risk Factor of Lung Cancer
Lung Cancer Screening
Clinical Trials of Lung Cancer Treatments
The Side Effects of Lung Cancer Treatment
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Lung Cancer Facts and Statistics
* In 2005, more than 172,500 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed.
* More lives are claimed each year from lung cancer than breast cancer, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer combined.
* Lung cancer will also account for about 28% of the deaths from all forms of cancer in 2005. Over 13% of cancers diagnosed in 2005 will be lung cancer.
* Since 1960, the incidence of lung cancer has been rising among women. The incidence of lung cancer in women increased over 400% between 1960 and 1990.
* The incidence of lung cancer among African American men is about 50% higher than it is among Caucasian men. African American men are about 30% more likely to die of lung cancer than Caucasian men.
* 1 in 18 women and 1 in 13 men will develop lung cancer during their lives.
* 87% of all lung cancers are related to smoking.
* Fewer than 16% of lung cancer cases are detected in the first stage. The five year survival rate for lung cancer detected in its first stage is 49%. The overall five year survival rate for lung cancer is less than 15%.
The sheer numbers of people who will be diagnosed with lung cancer annually are so large that they tend to lose all meaning. What's 172,500 people? It's a city the size of Columbus, Ohio. It's 473 people every single day. It's very likely to be someone that you know, someone that you love. Take it a step further. Of those 473 people who learned today that they have lung cancer, 237 will not be alive in five years. If someone you love is diagnosed with lung cancer tomorrow, they have a 1 in 2 chance of surviving to the five year mark. And that is a grim statistic to face.
There is less grim news about lung cancer, though. From 1990 to 2001, the risk of developing lung cancer for men dropped sharply and continues to drop. The risk of a woman developing lung cancer rose steeply from 1960 to the late 1990s, but the rate of new diagnoses of lung cancer in women seems to have leveled since 1998. If it follows the same pattern as the rates of lung cancer among men, the next several years should see a sharp decrease in the diagnoses of new lung cancer cases among women.
There has also been headway in the research into cures and prevention of lung cancer. The medical profession is becoming more open to accepting different treatment approaches, including holistic health practices, nutritional practices * even the idea that positive attitude can make the difference in the chances of surviving a bout with lung cancer. Research is focusing on prevention AND cures * and there's a great deal of good news in both areas. Advances in knowledge are coming at a rapid rate * it has never been as likely that there WILL be a cure for cancer within our lifetime.
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