November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK. In 2013, around 42,500 people were diagnosed with lung cancer. As it’s lung cancer awareness month, one of our information development nurses Teri has written this helpful blog, highlighting the possible risks and causes of lung cancer. She also lets you know what symptoms to look out for and when to get them checked by your GP. The earlier lung cancer is diagnosed the more successful treatment is likely to be.

There are different types of lung cancer. The two main types are small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. The only way to find out which type of lung cancer you have is to look at a sample of cells through a microscope.

What are the possible risks and causes of lung cancer?

• Smoking cigarettes is the main cause of lung cancer. But, although most lung cancers are linked to smoking, it is still possible to get lung cancer if you have never smoked. The diagram below shows the proportion of people diagnosed with lung cancer who are smokers, and those who are non-smokers. 10 to 15% (one in ten) of people who get lung cancer will never have smoked.

• Your risk may also be slightly higher if you regularly breathe in other people’s smoke (passive smoking).
• Lung cancer is more common in older people. Around 6 in 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer are over 70 years old.
• You may also be slightly more at risk if a close family member has had lung cancer.
• Having radiotherapy to the chest may slightly increase your risk.

There are also a few environmental factors that may increase the risk of lung cancer:

• Being exposed to large amounts of radon gas. This is found naturally in some areas of the country.
• Having close, or a lot of, contact with asbestos over a long period of time. Asbestos was used in certain jobs, such as the building industry, but it is now banned in the UK. If you have been exposed to both asbestos and smoke, your risk is greater.

Reducing your risk if you are a smoker
If you stop smoking, your risk of developing lung cancer falls quickly. Not smoking for 15 years can reduce your risk to nearly the level of a non-smoker.

There are also other health benefits to stopping smoking. It will help reduce your risk of getting some other types of cancer, heart and lung diseases, strokes, circulatory problems, dementia, impotence and infertility. It may be difficult to quit smoking, but there are techniques and support available to help.

What are the most common signs and symptoms of lung cancer?

• A cough that lasts for three weeks or more.
• A change in a cough you’ve had for a long time.
• Feeling short of breath and wheezy for no reason.
• Coughing up blood.
• Chest or shoulder pain that doesn’t get better.
• A chest infection that doesn’t get better, or repeated chest infections.
• Having a hoarse voice for three weeks or more.

Other possible symptoms might be:

• losing weight for no obvious reason
• feeling extremely tired (fatigue)
• a change in the shape of the ends of your fingers – they may become larger or rounded (clubbing).

It’s important to get any of these symptoms checked by your GP. Some of them might be caused by other conditions or by smoking. But if your GP thinks they may be caused by lung cancer, they will refer you to a lung specialist doctor and send you for a chest x-ray.

Treatment for lung cancer depends on the type of lung cancer you have. But the main treatments are either surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a combination of these treatments.

If you have any questions, you may find it helpful to speak to our cancer information and support specialists. Call the Macmillan Support Line free on 0808 808 0000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.

To see what else Macmillan's cancer information team has been blogging about, please visit our blog home page! You can subscribe to receive our blogs by email or RSS too.

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The Macmillan team is here to help. Our cancer support specialists can answer your questions, offer support, or simply listen if you need a chat. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00.

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