Lung Cancer Prevention

Lung cancer is a cancer type which develops in the lungs. As part of the respiratory system, lungs are used to breathe. They absorb oxygen when you breathe in carbon dioxide and release it when it expires. Located in the in the chest, lungs position are on each side of the heart. The right lung has three lobes. The left lung is two lobes since it is slightly smaller. Lungs have pleura which is a thin layer that padded and protected the lungs.

Many people lose their lives due to lung cancer. It is considered the major cause of death in the United States for both women and men. Lung cancer causes people's lives more than cancer of the prostate, colon, ovary and breast combined every year. 

The entire body's cell contains DNA or the genetic material deoxyribonucleic acid. When a mature cell splits into two new cells, its DNA is duplicated precisely. The cells are duplicates of the original cell that is identical in all respects. Thereby, our bodies are continually restored. The old cells die and then are replaced by the next generation.

Cancer starts with a mistake or a mutation in the DNA of a cell. The mutations of the DNA can be caused by the normal aging process or by environmental factors such as cigarette smoke, inhalation of asbestos fibres and exposure to radon.

Causes

Most types of lung cancer are caused by smoking - both in active smokers and secondhand smoker. However, lung cancer also happens to people who have never smoked and in people who have never been exposed to secondhand smoke for a long time. Based on these cases, there can be no obvious cause of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is also often connected to some exposure to toxic materials. The second cause is the exposure of radon. Research shows that asbestos-related lung cancer is more common than we imagine though the number of cases related to asbestos exposure has not been so high.

The exposure to asbestos often takes place in the workplace. However, it can also happen at home as due to the deterioration of asbestos products, construction projects or perhaps contaminated sites. When the asbestos fibres are inhaled, the toxins cannot be removed by our body. As a result, they can cause damage eventually and turns into asbestos cancer. The toxins cannot be removed by our body, but we can remove asbestos materials in our house by hiring professional and experience asbestos removalist

Methods to Prevent Lung Cancer

The followings are ways to prevent lung cancer taken from Verywellhealth, Mayoclinic, and Webmd.

• Number one rule is of course, don't smoke. If you finally quit smoking, get screened immediately.


• The major cause of lung cancer is without a doubt smoking, accounting for 80 to 90 per cent of lung cancers.

• For people diagnosed with lung cancer, it's never too late to finally quit smoking for quitting smoking can improve survival.

• Avoid smokers. If you happen to live or work with people who smoke, you can suggest him or her to quit. Or the last thing you can do is ask them to smoke outside the building. Don't go to places where people smoke like bars and restaurants. If you can't avoid it, search for the non-smoking area.

• Check if there's radon in your home. Hardware stores, mostly sell a cheap and easy-to-use kit that can measures the levels of radon accurately.

• Don't go near carcinogenic area. Try to protect yourself from any toxic chemicals while working. For example, if you are provided with a face mask, make sure you wear it. The risk of lung damage from carcinogens at work increases when you smoke. Therefore, you need to avoid smoking too.

Sources:

http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/lung/lung-cancer/?region=on

https://www.lungcancer.org/find_information/publications/163-lung_cancer_101/265-what_is_lung_cancer

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20374620

https://www.mesothelioma.com/asbestos-cancer/lung-cancer/

https://www.verywellhealth.com/tips-for-lung-cancer-prevention-2249286