Lung cancer: causes and symptoms

What causes lung cancer?

In a word—smoking.

Lung cancer could be the easiest cancer to avoid as scientists believe that about 9 out of 10 cases are caused by smoking. (Cigarettes are a bit worse than cigars, but only because cigar smokers are less likely to inhale. And cigars are just as bad for mouth and throat cancers.)

The longer you've been smoking, and the more you smoke, the greater your risk of getting lung cancer. But no matter how long you've been smoking, the chance that you'll get lung cancer starts to get less as soon as you stop. Even at the age of 60, the chance of developing lung cancer 15 years after you've stopped smoking is half what it would have been if you had kept on smoking.

So it's always worth quitting. It makes a big difference, however long you've been smoking.

Passive smoking (breathing in other people's tobacco smoke) also increases your chance of getting lung cancer, although not as much as if you smoke yourself. So you do your family and friends a favour when you quit, as well as yourself.

One type of lung cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos—especially if the person also smokes. This type is rare.

What can I do to avoid lung cancer?
If you don't smoke now, don't start.

If you do smoke, stop. Easier said than done! But the benefits are felt straight away. Even cutting down, or stopping for a while, helps. So if you find you have to make a number of attempts before you finally quit, you're still doing yourself some good.

Eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. Experts think 2 pieces of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables every day is beneficial, but there's no rule about it. If you eat more than this, that's great. If you eat less, well, the more the better. It all helps.

What are the warning signs
It usually takes a long time for lung cancer to cause symptoms. So by the time it starts to give trouble it's sometimes well developed. And there isn't a good screening test to find lung cancer before symptoms start. Not yet anyway.

So what are the symptoms?
Lung cancer can cause:

• a cough that doesn't go away, and gets worse or shows blood;
• a hoarse voice, wheezing, and being short of breath;
• lung infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, that keep coming back;
• pain in the chest;
• weight loss; and
• swelling of the face or arms.

Lots of other things besides lung cancer can cause these symptoms. In fact, it's much more likely to be something else. But if you have symptoms like these, see your doctor—just to make sure.

For further information and advice, call the Cancer Helpline on 13 11 20

 

myDr, 2001. Reproduced with the kind permission of The Cancer Council New South Wales.
© Copyright: myDr, UBM Medica Australia, 2000-2010. All rights reserved.

Last Reviewed: 03 January 2002