The death
rate due to cancer of the lungs has increased more than 800 percent in males and
has more than doubled in females during the last 25 years. It is considerably
higher in urban and industrial areas than in rural districts. {{U}}
{{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}Those factors which have been mentioned most
frequently are the presence of foreign particles and other irritants in the air
(smoke particles, smog, exhaust fumes), and the smoking of cigarettes and
cigars. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}Among heavy
smokers—21 to 30 cigarettes per day—the mortality rate from lung cancer is
nearly 17 times the rate from nonsmokers. It is expected the death rate among
women will increase as the present high rate of smoking among women has its
effect. Sometimes cases of lung cancer are discovered at the
time an X-ray is taken for the purpose of detecting tuberculosis. {{U}}
{{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}Early detection is absolutely essential if any
possibility of cure is to be maintained. Modern X-ray machines in competent
hands pose such slight danger, at least to those over 40 years of age, that this
would be much more than offset by the advantages of discovering a tumor while it
is small enough to be completely removed. {{U}} {{U}}
4 {{/U}} {{/U}}The tumor may grow until the bronchus is blocked, cutting
off the supply of air to that lung. The lung then collapses, and the secretions
trapped in the lung spaces become infected, with a resulting pneumonia or the
formation of a lung abscess. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}The only
treatment that offers a possibility of cure, before secondary growths have had
time to form, is to remove the lung completely. This operation is called
pneumonectomy. Malignant tumors of the stomach, the breast, the
prostate gland and other organs may spread to the lungs, causing secondary
growths. A. A common form of lung cancer is bronchogenic
carcinoma, so-called because the malignancy originates in a bronchus.
B. Lung cancer, also known as carcinoma of the lung or pulmonary
carcinoma, is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth
in tissues of the lung. C. Too often, however, a current
emphasis upon the danger of exposure to radiation from X-ray machines can
frighten people away from routine chest X-rays and thus prevent an early
diagnosis of lung cancer. D. Numerous studies have demonstrated
a striking correlation between the death rate from lung cancer and smoking
habits. E. Such a lung cancer can also spread to cause
secondary growths in the lymph nodes of the chest and neck as well as in the
brain and other parts of the body. F. There are many possible
causes, but it is still controversial which are most blameworthy.