Lung Cancer, 2nd Edition

Course overview

Lung cancer is leading cause of cancer in both men and women globally, accounting for 140,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. One in 16 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime. Lung cancer kills almost three times as many men as prostate cancer and three times as many women as breast cancer. Over half a million of Americans have been diagnosed with lung cancer during sometime in their life (American Cancer Society (ACS), 2020). Although several genetic and epigenetic risk factors can contribute to the development of lung cancer, smoking tobacco products causes an estimated 80% of lung cancer deaths. Occupational hazards such as asbestos and environmental exposures such as air pollution, arsenic, and HIV and Tb infection have all been implicated in lung carcinogenesis, while cannabis smoking, electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and COVID-19 have been hypothesized to increase risk (McDowell, 2020). Knowledge of current known risk factors aids in prevention and early detection of primary tumors, which are the most effective ways of reducing mortality rates. Early screening, along with quick detection of high-risk individuals (current or previous tobacco smokers), can reduce death by 20%. However, only about six percent of high-risk individuals take advantage of early screening procedures (American Lung Association (ALA), 2022).