Learn more about the warning signs of lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most likely cause of a cancer death in America. It kills more people each year than breast, prostate, and colon cancer combined. Each day about 433 Americans will die of some form of lung cancer. Although occurring most frequently in people ages 65 or older, two percent of those 45 or younger will be diagnosed.

So why is it so deadly? Like many other cancers, detecting lung cancer can be difficult. There are often no early signs, and when there are symptoms, it is usually in the form of a later stage of lung cancer or because the disease has spread.

Find more information about lung screenings available at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. 

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Lung Cancer Causes and Risk Factors

Smokers account for more than 80 percent of lung cancer deaths. Your risk of lung cancer can increase the more you smoke and the longer you smoke.

But second-hand smoke may also raise your risk of lung cancer. Research suggests that some people are more susceptible to the cancer-causing effects of tobacco smoke than other people, which may explain why some older people don’t develop lung cancer even after smoking for years. Other risk factors can include:

  • Radon exposure
  • Asbestos exposure
  • Air pollution
  • Family history of lung cancers

RELATED: Start Your Journey to a Smoke-Free Life

Lung Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Every cancer case is different, but symptoms should never be ignored. Warning signs may include:

  • Noticeable voice change; hoarseness
  • A cough that does not go away
  • Chest pain that is often worse when deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
  • Feeling tired or weak
  • Wheezing that does not go away
  • Appetite and weight loss
  • Shortness of breath
  • Coughing up blood

RELATED: Cancer Talks: Listen to Your Body

Lung Cancer Screenings and Treatment

New technologies to treat and screen for lung cancer are available, and researchers are always working on new ways to screen for and treat this disease. Screening for lung cancer has been shown to reduce the death rate from lung cancer and should be part of routine health care maintenance.

Even if you are in fairly good health, you should have a lung cancer screening as you get older, especially if you:

  • Are 50 to 77 years old
  • Smoke or quit smoking within the last 15 years

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, partner with University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, has been at the forefront of research of lung and esophageal. To learn more about UPMC Hillman Cancer Center or to schedule an appointment, please call 412-623-LUNG (5864) or visit the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center website.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .

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