‘Lung cancer is a challenging disease but reading this can really help an individual to take early prevention.’
An overview of lung cancer!
We know that it is a type of cancer which begins in the lungs. Lungs are two spongy organs in our chest which take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Not in India, but it is a leading cause of cancer between both men and women. Usually, people who smoke have the greatest risk of lung cancer but it is not so.
Let us discuss through a small piece of information!
It was announced on 21 December 2018, that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has undergone surgery of lung cancer.
But to remind you all about the situation of which you need to be aware of what has exactly happened to her. Without disregarding the information which has been made to the public, there is some additional information which was still kept disclosed from others. But we need to respect those decisions as it can be personal too!
What we know!
The information we already know is very small. Let us discuss that!
First time: She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999.
Second time: In 2009 during a routine checkup, she was diagnosed with primary cancer in the pancreas. But she underwent successful surgery.
Lastly, for the third time: In the month of November she had rib fractures after falling down. During the evaluation, two nodules were discovered. Those were two non-small cancerous tumors which were reported as an early stage lung cancer.
What we do not know!
Even though we know about the type of cancer, we are unaware of the final pathology report or what the surgery has led to. It is right that every individual has their own different case to get cured of a disease, so even Justice Ginsburg is believed to have a good surgery.
To be aware of…
We must always be cautious about these situations where we can never be completely sure of the outcome of the surgery.
The factors include:
- Location of the tumors
- Type and characteristics of the tumor
- Size of the tumor
An important thing to note… Justice Ginsburg has currently no detectable cancer!
What to learn from this!
Lung cancer is a challenging disease to treat as it gets diagnosed late. Hence, you must do a routine checkup in order to prevent from catching any serious illness. As we all know that, early diagnosis is the real key to the survival.
Causes include…
In the beginning, we saw that the main factor of lung cancer is smoking. But there are other factors too.
- Exposing to radiation
- A family history of the disease
- Contact with toxic substances like asbestos
How to prevent the risk!
Not prevention, but you can surely reduce the risk.
- Do not smoke
- If you smoke then stop smoking
- Avoid secondhand smoke
- Check your home from radon levels
- Avoid toxic chemicals at work
- Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables
- Exercise most days of the week
Like Justice Ginsburg, even you can prevent lung cancer by being aware and leading a healthy life for many years!
