When it comes to men’s health, you may typically think of diseases of the heart, the prostate and maybe the colon.  Rarely do the lungs come to mind.  But they should.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women.  In fact, more people die of lung cancer than colon, breast and prostate cancers combined.

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor that arises from lung tissue.  A tumor is a cell mass, or a collection of too many cells.  It is usually only harmful when it is malignant.  A malignant tumor means that cells are abnormal and are acting without rhyme or reason. This is why a malignant tumor is cancerous.  Because they are random, cancer cells can break away from the malignant tumor and travel to other parts of the body.  If this happens, it is said that the cancer has metastasized.  

There are two types of cancers that begin in the lungs: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.  Non-small cell lung cancer is the more common of the two cancers and can be divided into three subcategories: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma.  These subgroups are named after the cells in which the cancer first started.  Small cell lung cancer, or oat cell cancer, is less common. It typically grows faster and is more likely to spread to other organs.

Even though you cannot absolutely control your body, there are several steps that can be taken to help keep it as healthy as possible.  When considering lung cancer, the National Cancer Institute outlines eight known causes that should be avoided:

·        Cigarettes: Carcinogens in the tobacco can damage lung cells, which may later become cancerous.  The age at which smoking began, how long smoking has occurred, the number smoked per day and how deeply the tobacco was inhaled determines the likelihood of  getting lung cancer.  The American Cancer Society estimates that 90 percent of lung cancer deaths are linked to smoking.  Quitting may reduce the risk.

·        Cigars and Pipes: The same risk factors for getting lung cancer described in cigarette smoking apply here.  Even those who don’t inhale are at risk.

·        Environmental Tobacco Smoke, or Secondhand Smoke: Being in areas where there is smoke may increase a person’s risk of lung cancer.

·        Radon (a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in soil and rocks): When inhaled, the gas can damage lung tissue.  Miners and home owners may be at risk.  Home kits can be purchased to test for radon.

·        Asbestos (a group of minerals that naturally occur as fibers): Asbestos fibers can break easily and become airborne.  When inhaled, they lodge in the lungs and damage cells.  Workers in industries where asbestos products are used are three to four times as likely to develop lung cancer than workers in non-asbestos industries.  These industries include shipbuilding, asbestos mining and manufacturing, insulation work and brake repair.  Workers should use special equipment and follow safety procedures.

·        Pollution: It’s possible that certain air-pollutants may cause lung cancer.  In particular, the by-products of the combustion of diesel fuel and other fossil fuel.  Those with this type of exposure should use safety precautions.

·        Lung Diseases: Certain lung diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB), may cause an increased risk of lung cancer because of the scarring that TB leaves on the lungs.

·        Personal History: A person who has had lung cancer is more likely to get  it again than a person who has never had lung cancer.

As seen from this list, there are many lifestyles and professions that may increase the risk for developing lung cancer.  You should see a physician if you experience any of these symptoms: a cough that doesn’t go away and gets worse over time, constant chest pain, coughing up blood, shortness of breath or wheezing, repeated bouts of pneumonia or bronchitis, swelling of the face and neck, loss of appetite, weight loss or fatigue.  While these symptoms don’t necessarily mean that cancer is present, they may signify that something else is wrong.

 Diagnosing Lung Cancer

In diagnosing lung cancer, a physician or cancer specialist (oncologist) will first ask a patient for their medical, smoking, occupational and family histories, perform a physical exam and get a chest X-ray.  If cancer is suspected, a sputum cytology test is done.  This looks at a sample of deep-cough mucus from the lungs.  In order to give a true diagnosis of lung cancer, the physician will get a lung tissue sample through a biopsy.  This may be done one of several ways: bronchoscopy (a lighted tube inserted into the mouth and down the windpipe into the lungs), needle aspiration (needle inserted through the chest into the tumor), thoracentesis (removal of a sample of fluid that surrounds the lungs through a needle) or thoracotomy (surgery to open the chest).

Once the diagnosis of cancer is given, the physician determines the stage of the cancer in order to know how to treat it.  This can be done via a CAT or CT Scan (computed tomography), an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), radionuclide scanning (injected radioactive substance is tracked throughout the body by a specialized machine), a bone scan (type of radionuclide scanning) or a mediastinoscopy (scope inserted into the neck to view lymph nodes in the chest).

Treatment of lung cancer depends on numerous factors, including the type of lung cancer (non-small cell or small cell), the size, the location, the extent of the tumor and the general health of the patient.  Typically, treatment will involve one or more of the following:

·        Surgery: Either a segmental resection (remove a small part of the lung), a lobectomy (removal of an entire lobe of the lung) or a pneumonectomy (removal of an entire lung) is done.  Sometimes surgery cannot be done because of tumor location, size or the health of the patient.  In these cases, the goal is to control cancer growth or reduce symptoms of the cancer.

·        Chemotherapy: Anticancer drugs are either directly injected into a vein, given through a catheter into a vein or taken orally.  The drugs kill cancer cells throughout the body.

·        Radiation Therapy: High-energy rays are directed to the cancer area and affect only the cancer cells in that area.  It can be done internally or externally. Radiation can be used before or after surgery or in combination with chemotherapy instead of surgery.

·        Photodynamic Therapy: A laser therapy that injects a chemical into the bloodstream and is absorbed by cells throughout the body.  It is used to control symptoms of lung cancer as well as to treat patients for whom other treatments are not an option.

As with most medications and therapies, there may be numerous side effects with these treatments.  The degree to which a patient is affected is specific to that person.  It’s important to talk to a physician about ways to minimize discomforts.

When evaluating their health, men should consider their lifestyles, exercise and nutrition, occupations and the air quality of where they live.  If you smoke, quit now and stay away from all other tobacco products.  If you need more information on lung cancer or men’s health in general, talk to your physician.