About Lung Cancer

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for lung cancer in the US for 2024 are:

• About 234,580 new cases of lung cancer (116,310 in men and 118,270 in women)
• About 125,070 deaths from lung cancer (65,790 in men and 59,280 in women)
• Lung cancer by far is the leading cause of cancer deaths, accounting for about one in five of all deaths from cancer
• More people die from lung cancer than from colon, prostate and breast cancer combined

In the US, lung cancers tend to occur in older people, but the number of new lung cancer cases is continuing to decrease because more people are quitting smoking, or not starting at all¹.

Causes of Lung Cancer Besides Smoking²

• Inhaling secondhand smoke
• Exposure to Radon, a naturally occurring in invisible gas
• Chemical exposures to asbestos, arsenic, cadmium, silica, beryllium, and diesel exhaust 

Vaping 

There are many chemicals that can be harmful to the lungs in vaping products including volatile organic compounds, diacetyl, nicotine derivatives, flavorings and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. So vaping can increase the risk of lung cancer up to four times³, especially when combined with cigarette smoking. 

Genes Have Been Linked to Lung Cancer

Genetic mutations lead to oncology standard of care targeted therapy based on research for these lung cancer types. Genetic mutations are usually caused by exposure to environmental factors from air pollution, chemicals discussed above, UV radiation or viruses. Occasionally, DNA changes for no apparent reason or due to an unknown cause. Tobacco smoke is the most common cause, responsible for about 90% of cases. As with most cancers, only around 5 to 10% of lung cancer mutations are inherited, acquired mutations happening during your lifetime because of environmental exposures are the highest risk for the disease. Lung cancer risks increase with higher levels of exposure and length of exposure to these toxins.

Lung Cancer Types

Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type, accounting for about 85% of all lung cancer cases. This type of lung cancer can occur in people who’ve never smoked. There are three primary types, defined by the type of cancer cells involved. 

• Adenocarcinoma represents about 40% of all non-small cell lung cancer. 
• Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type representing about 25 to 30% of non-small cell lung cancer. 
• Large cell lung carcinoma is rare, accounting for only 10 to 15% of diagnoses. Survival rates depend on the type and stage of the cancer, whether it’s metastasized or localized.⁴

Small cell lung cancer is fast growing and aggressive and usually starts in breathing tubes in the center of the chest. It is strongly linked to smoking cigarettes. Small cell lung cancer spreads as the cells are dividing and multiplying uncontrollably and when cancer cells are shed from the tumor(s), blood or lymph picks up the cancer cells and carries them to other parts of your body. Typically, this cancer spreads to lymph nodes, bones, the brain, liver and adrenal glands.

Symptoms of Lung Cancer

Symptoms of both non-small cell and small cell lung cancer include chest pain, a chronic cough, coughing up blood, chronic fatigue, hoarseness in the throat, unexplained weight loss and difficulty breathing as the cancer progresses.

Standard of Care Treatments for Lung Cancers

The treatment plan(s) offered by oncology professionals depends on lung cancer type and stage; it should also include patient preferences and caregivers should understand the condition of the patient’s overall health prior to treatment. Preferred treatment for early-stage lung cancer is surgery to remove the cancer tumor(s). The second stage of treatment includes radiation therapy. Chemotherapy can be used and will include special agents to shrink or kill the type of lung cancer diagnosed. Targeted therapies use drugs to block the growth and spread of cancer cells. Locally advanced cancers can be treated with immunotherapy.

Cancer treatments prescribed by standard of care providers have risks and side effects. Patients going through treatment with standard of care oncology can optimize their chances of healing and survival by starting a treatment plan with an integrative/functional oncology professional to target their cancer roots. Cancer recovery is optimized through implementing a targeted cancer nutrition plan, detailed detoxification protocols working against environmental toxin exposures that lead to cancer, use of research-based prescribed supplements that target cancer hallmarks impacting the type of lung cancer cells involved directly, and optimization of the patient’s G.I. microbiome which contains up to 80% of the immune system required for healing.

 

1. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html#:~:text
2. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/what-causes.html#
3. https://cancer.osu.edu/news/vaping-and-smoking-together-increases-lung-cancer-risk-fourfold#
4. https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/non-small-cell-lung-cancer#