World Lung Cancer Day 2022
Today is World Lung Cancer Day. Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer not counting skin cancer. It is second to prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. It is estimated that there will be 236,740 new cases of lung cancer and 130,10 deaths from lung cancer in 2022. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, making up 25 percent of all cancer deaths. More people die from this cancer than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. In a population of smokers and nonsmokers, the likelihood of a man developing lung cancer is 1 in 15 and a woman developing lung cancer is 1 in 17. There is a higher chance for people who smoke, and the risk is lower for people who don’t smoke.
There are multiple treatments available for lung cancer. The Lung cancer type, age, health status, and how far the cancer has spread all determine what treatment is best for lung cancer. If surgery is warranted, a segmental or wedge resection, lobectomy, pneumonectomy, or sleeve resection can be performed. A segmental or wedge resection is the removal of a small part of the lung, a lobectomy is the removal of an entire lobe of a lung, a pneumonectomy is the removal of the entire lung, and a sleeve resection is the removal of a bronchus (the remaining part is reattached). Radiation therapy could also be used where high levels of radiation are applied to cancer cells to kill them. This is done to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Chemotherapy, where cytotoxic drugs are administered to the body is also an option. The drug is administered to the whole body and helps interfere with cancer cells’ ability to grow or reproduce. Targeted therapy, where drugs are administered that specifically target parts of a cancer cell, are usually used alongside chemotherapy. Finally, there is immunotherapy, where treatments help boost the immune system of the patient.
Over time lung cancer deaths have been decreasing. They peaked in 2005 with 159,292 cases and in 2016 fell 6.5 percent to 148,945 cases. Being an active smoker is the main cause of lung cancer accounting for 90 percent of all lung cancer cases. Other causes include radon, which causes 10 percent of cases, occupational exposure to carcinogens like asbestos causes 9 to 15 percent, and air pollution causes 1 to 2 percent. The percentages add up to more than 100 because multiple factors can interact with each other to cause someone’s lung cancer. When people who don’t smoke are exposed to asbestos, they are five times more likely to develop lung cancer. When people smoke and are exposed to asbestos, they are 50 times more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer because the fibers and smoke work together to cause cancer. Asbestos is incredibly dangerous because it is made up of microscopic fibers that are easily inhaled. After being inhaled, they become lodged in human tissue like the lungs and pleura (membrane that surrounds the lungs). The fibers cannot be broken down and removed by the body, so they stay in the lungs and cause genetic changes that turn regular cells into cancer cells.
Asbestos settlements depend on what asbestos products were used, age, dependents, and extent of injuries. They also depend on the type of cancer, meaning someone exposed to asbestos diagnosed with lung cancer might not be paid as much as someone diagnosed with mesothelioma. We have obtained over one million dollars for many clients who both smoked and were exposed to asbestos. If you have lung cancer and believe that it could be from exposure to asbestos, contact us today to see if you could be entitled to compensation. Our knowledgeable attorneys can help you determine if a lawsuit is best for your situation. Either call us at 412-471-3980 or fill out our contact form and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
