What causes lung cancer?
The vast majority - over 80%, of lung cancers are caused by smoking tobacco or by indirect exposure to tobacco smoke (passive smoking). The other main causes are breathing industrial chemicals such as asbestos, arsenic and polycyclic hydrocarbons.

Who is at risk for lung cancer?
Like most cancers the risk of lung cancers increases with age. Lung cancer is rare under the age of 40. The longer you smoke, the greater your risk. Women and men are equally affected by lung cancer. Lung cancer kills more women every year than breast cancer.

What are the symptoms of lung cancer?
Some lung cancer patients have few or no symptoms until the late stages of the disease or when the disease is so advanced and has spread to other parts of the body.

Symptoms of lung cancer include the following:
• Coughing up blood
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss

How is lung cancer diagnosed?
The cancer can be detected on a chest X-ray, but many cases are diagnosed by bronchoscopy when a thin flexible tube is passed down the airways. CT-scan and MRI of the lungs can also be used to diagnose lung cancer.

Treatment
If the lung cancer is detected early and remains in the lungs, surgery may be an option. For lung cancer that has spread chemotherapy (drugs) and radiation therapy are standard treatment methods.

Prognosis
Although more people are living longer with lung cancer, very few patients are cured from this cancer. Four out of five lung cancer patients die within one year of being diagnosed. The prognosis is extremely poor when the cancer has spread outside the lungs.

Prevention
The best method of combatting lung cancer is to refrain from, or quit smoking. Cigarette smoking is very addictive and it is important for young people in particular to avoid taking up this habit as quitting can be very difficult. Cigarette smoking is not cool. It can be a deadly habit. People who smoke often need professional help to quit and should seek this help if they are serious about quitting. Much more needs to be done to educate the public about the dangers of cigarette smoking in Anguilla. Not being a smoker can significantly decrease your risk of getting this deadly cancer.

Conclusion
Lung cancer is a deadly cancer that affects many individuals. There is no doubt that cigarette smoking is the cause of over 80% of all lung cancer cases and stop smoking can drastically reduce your risk of dying from lung cancer. If you are a smoker and you stop today you can still decrease your risk of developing lung cancer. The recent high profile deaths from lung cancer may, in the long run, help other people from developing lung cancer if more individuals are encouraged to never start smoking or if they quit smoking today.

Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. Dr. Brett Hodge is an obstetrician/gynaecologist and family doctor who has over twenty years in clinical practice. Dr. Hodge has a medical practice in the Johnson Building in The Valley.

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