Understanding Lung Cancer: Why Awareness Matters

November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month. It's a critical time in the calendar dedicated to raising awareness, educating communities, and supporting individuals affected by this common and often life-altering disease.

The Prevalence of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide, impacting millions of lives. In Ireland, approximately 2,500 to 3,000 people receive a diagnosis of lung cancer each year. Over our lifetimes, it affects 1 in every 14 men and 1 in every 17 women.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in women after breast cancer. In men, it is the third most common cancer after prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. While the number of new lung cancers diagnosed is decreasing in men, trends indicate that the rate of lung cancer in women is increasing.

Risk Factors and Causes

Understanding the risk factors associated with lung cancer is crucial in raising awareness. While smoking remains the leading cause, non-smokers can also develop lung cancer due to factors like exposure to second-hand smoke, environmental exposures (e.g. radon, ionising radiation, arsenic, asbestos, coal burning, etc), or a family history of lung cancer. As such, both genetics and the environment play a role in whether a person does or does not get lung cancer.

Symptoms and Early Detection

Recognising the signs and symptoms of lung cancer is essential for early detection and improved outcomes. Symptoms of lung cancer include:

• A cough that won’t go away
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Repeated chest infections
• Coughing up phlegm with blood
• Swelling around the neck or face

Importance of Screening and Diagnosis

Early detection through screening can significantly improve survival rates. In Ireland, most lung cancers are diagnosed through rapid-access lung clinics. However, a significant proportion of people still receive a diagnosis through a hospital emergency department. Currently, the majority of people receive a lung cancer diagnosis when the disease has already progressed to Stage 4. For this reason, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death.

Treatment and Advances

Treatment options for lung cancer have evolved significantly over the years, ranging from surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. As a result, survival rates have improved drastically in Ireland from one-in-ten people in the 1990s to over one-in-four people today.

Advances in medical research continue to provide hope for improved treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients. As of November 2023, the UCD Cancer Trials Cluster has three clinical trials open in the area of lunch cancer with many more open nationally through (opens in a new window)Cancer Trials Ireland.

Conclusion

Lung Cancer Awareness Month serves as a platform to encourage advocacy, support networks, and fundraising for new research studies and trials. It's a time for communities to come together, show support for those impacted, and rally behind efforts to increase funding for research and access to care.

Increasing awareness about lung cancer involves educating ourselves and others about prevention, risk factors, symptoms, and the importance of early detection. By sharing information, supporting fundraising events, participating in awareness campaigns, and advocating for policies that prioritise lung health, we can collectively make a difference.

Further reading:

• Irish Cancer Society information about lung cancer: (opens in a new window)https://www.cancer.ie/cancer-information-and-support/cancer-types/lung-cancer
• Lung cancer fact sheet: (opens in a new window)https://www.ncri.ie/sites/ncri/files/factsheets/Factsheet lung.pdf
• Lung cancer statistics Ireland: (opens in a new window)https://www.ncri.ie/sites/ncri/files/pubs/NCRI_AnnualStatisticalReport_2022.pdf
• Lung Cancer Trials in Ireland: (opens in a new window)https://www.cancertrials.ie/current-trials/lung/