Published in the British Journal of Cancer, the study aimed to identify patient symptoms and factors that influenced time to lung cancer and stage diagnosis. Staging is the determination of the stage the cancer is in, the higher the stage number, the more difficult the cancer will be to treat. The team’s study results showed that hemoptysis “was the only initial symptom associated with cancer.” In their conclusion they wrote: “Hemoptysis is the strongest predictor of lung cancer symptoms, but it occurs in only one-fifth of patients. Programs to accelerate early diagnosis must focus on multiple symptoms and their progression.” While hemoptysis is the only symptom associated with lung cancer, its lack of prevalence in lung cancer patients means that other symptoms should be considered. READ MORE: Diabetes Symptoms: Experiencing the ‘4 Ts’? Contact your doctor urges the UK health agency
How can lung cancer be prevented?
Cancer Research UK data shows that around 80 per cent of lung cancers are preventable, this is because the causes of the disease are well understood. The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking. The NHS says: “Cigarette smoking is the single biggest risk factor for lung cancer. It accounts for more than 70 percent of cases.” But it’s not just cigarettes that can cause the disease, the NHS added “the use of other types of tobacco products can also increase the risk of lung cancer and other types of cancer”, such as cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff and chewing . Smoke. In addition, while smoking is the main risk factor for lung cancer, other actions can also increase the risk of the disease. READ MORE: Blood clot warning: Five foods that could ‘prevent blood from moving’ – ‘stay away’ This includes exposure to certain chemicals such as:• Arsenic• Asbestos• Beryllium• Cadmium• Coal and coke fumes• Silicon• Nickel. About this the NHS said: “Research also shows that exposure to diesel fumes over many years increases the risk of lung cancer. One study showed that your risk of developing lung cancer increases by about 33% if you live in an area with high levels of nitrogen oxide gases (mainly produced by cars and other vehicles). While there have been many studies on air pollution and its impact on the body, there have been few studies on the impact of this form of pollution on lung cancer risk until a study earlier this month. The research, presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology earlier this month, found a link between air pollution and lung cancer. Speaking about the research, Professor Charles Swanton of University College London and the Francis Crick Institute said: “The risk of lung cancer from air pollution is lower than from smoking, but we have no control over what we all breathe . “Globally, more people are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution than to toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke, and these new data link the importance of addressing climate health to improving human health.” Swanton, who also works for Cancer Research UK, added: “Air pollution is linked to lung cancer, but people have largely ignored it because the mechanisms behind it have been unclear. “It’s a wake-up call about the impact of pollution on human health. You cannot ignore the health of the climate. If you want to address human health, you must first address climate health.”
