Don’t Ignore Lung Cancer Signs and Risks

with Michael Mosleth, M.D., Pulmonary Medicine, Advanced Healthcare

Posted: Oct. 1, 2005

Even though breast cancer is more common among females, lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of American women. “Many people don’t realize this,” said Michael Mosleth, M.D., a pulmonary medicine practitioner for Advanced Healthcare.

“Unfortunately, the lung cancer death rate is rising in women, particularly younger women. The statistics can be alarming,” he said. “About 90 percent of all lung cancer deaths among women are from smoking. Even though we know its effects are harmful, one out of every five women in the U.S. still smokes.”

Michael Mosleth, M.D., Pulmonary Medicine, Advanced Healthcare "Even though one has been smoking for many years, it’s never too late to benefit from quitting."

Researchers continue to study the causes of lung cancer and to search for ways to prevent it. “We already know the best way to prevent it is to quit or never start smoking. The single most preventable cause of premature death is cigarette smoking. The sooner a person quits, the better. Even though one has been smoking for many years, it’s never too late to benefit from quitting.”

Lung cancer occurs when abnormal or malignant cells divide in the tissues of the lung and invade nearby tissues or spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, Dr. Mosleth explains. There are two types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (cancer cells formed in the tissue of the lungs) and small cell lung cancer (most often found in people who smoke or used to smoke cigarettes).

Today’s medical treatments for lung cancer are better tolerated than they were a few years ago, Dr. Mosleth said. “Awareness of the warning signs and knowledge of risk factors are very important because lung cancer, caught in early stages, may be curable. Early lung cancer is most often without symptoms, so there is increased interest in screening tests.”

Warning signs
Women (and men) should see their doctors if they experience any of these warning signs:

• A cough that doesn’t go away or gets worse over time.
• Constant chest pain.
• Coughing up blood.
• Hoarseness or wheezing not associated with obvious infection or asthma.
• On-going problems with bronchitis or pneumonia
• Swelling of the neck and face.
• Loss of appetite or weight loss.
• Extreme fatigue.

They should also be screened for the disease if they have any of the risk factors associated with the disease:

• Cigarette smoking. About 80 to 92 percent of people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer have a history of smoking.
• Exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke. It’s been shown that cigarette smoke exposure at home or in the workplace can contribute to the risk of lung cancer.
• Exposure to environmental agents such as radon, which is found in homes and in tobacco smoke. Diesel fuel exhaust is another environmental agent that could raise the risk of lung cancer
• Family history of lung cancer, especially if a woman is a smoker.

“Screening originally was done by chest X-rays and checking sputum, but in terms of saving lives, these techniques weren’t that helpful,” Dr. Mosleth said. “But now other screening techniques can be used to detect small lung cancer. Small nodules, however, aren’t necessarily lung cancer.”

Young women and smoking
Dr. Mosleth raises concern that younger women, those of high school and college age, seem to be smoking more often. “Smoking by young women will lead to serious health problems in the future. They smoke for various social reasons as well as a response to stress. There are some studies that suggest that smoking marijuana and crack cocaine can also increase the risk of lung cancer.

“So it’s important to encourage them not to begin, or if they already have, to get them to quit. There’s been some conjecture lately that taking aspirin daily can possibly help prevent lung cancer, and some talk about vitamin E being helpful, but quitting smoking is clearly the most important way to reduce the risk of lung cancer.”

He cited various resources that can help women stop smoking. These include their doctors, local hospitals, the American Cancer Society (800-227-2345, www.cancer.org), the American Lung Association of Wisconsin (800-586-4872, www.lungusa.org), the Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy Support and Education (www. alcase.org), the National Cancer Institute (800-422-6237, www.cis.nci.nih.gov) the National Cancer Institute Smoking Quitline, 877-448-7848, www.smokeree.gov) and the Center for Tobacco Research’s Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (1-877-270-STOP).

Michale Mosleth, M.D.
Good Hope Clinic
3003 West Good Hope Rd.
Milwaukee
414-352-3100

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