November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month – a month focused on a disease that claims the lives of 1.6 million people annually, according to the World Health Organization. Below please find important information on lung cancer awareness.  If you’d like to speak to one of our St. Vincent Medical Group providers for more details on this subject, please call me at 812-485-4897 or email me at Emily.Hurless@ascension.org and I can assist in arranging an interview.

Lung Cancer Can Be a Silent Killer

Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined.

 Here are some quick facts about this silent killer:

• According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women (not counting skin cancer) and is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women.
• Lung cancer is commonly associated with people who smoke, but the reality is not everyone who smokes gets cancer.
• Most lung cancers do not cause any symptoms until they have spread, but some people with early lung cancer do have symptoms. If you go to your doctor when you first notice symptoms, your cancer might be diagnosed at an earlier stage, when treatment is more likely to be effective.

The 9 most common symptoms of lung cancer are:

1. A cough that does not go away or gets worse
2. Coughing up blood or rust-colored spit or phlegm
3. Chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
4. Hoarseness
5. Weight loss and loss of appetite
6. Shortness of breath
7. Feeling tired or weak
8. Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that don’t go away or keep coming back
9. New onset of wheezing

While many of these symptoms may be caused by something other than lung cancer, it’s important to see your doctor right away so the cause can be found and treated, if needed.

To speak with a St. Vincent doctor about the best methods of lung cancer prevention and early detection, contact me atEmily.Hurless@ascension.org or 812-485-4897.