Lung Cancer Statistics and Smoking in the UK

Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world. These words are emboldened on the Cancer Research UK site and for good reason. In this post i thought i’d spend some time looking into the statistics surrounding lung cancer related deaths in the UK.

Lung Cancer
In 2005 there were 33,500 lives claimed by lung cancer making it the most common cause of cancer death in the UK. The carcinogens from smoking over time cause your DNA in your lungs to mutate and divide. This then forms a tumour. The good(!) news is however that lung cancer is also one of the most treatable cancers. 90% of lung cancer is, yes you guessed it, caused by Tobacco.

What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

• Persistent cough
• Coughing up blood or phlegm
• Breathlessness
• Prolonged tiredness
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite

How is lung cancer diagnosed?

• X-rays
• Scans
• Bronchoscopy – narrow tube camera via the throat
• Biopsy – sample tissue

How is lung cancer treated?
There are two medical types of lung cancer. Small-cell which accounts for 20% of diagnoses and non small-cell which is 80%. There are various treatments for lung cancer listed below:

• Surgery – This is used primary for the treatment of small-cell
• Radiotherapy – This is use of x-rays to destroy the cancer cells. It can be given externally and internally.
• Chemotherapy – This is the use of chemicals to kill cancers and stop them spreading.

In future posts i’ll go into more details regarding the treatments above.

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