Every year in the UK, more than 44,000 people die of lung cancer. To mark Lung Cancer Awareness Month, test how much you know about the disease.
1 Lung cancer mainly affects older people.
True False
2 There are no symptoms of lung cancer.
True False
3 If I’ve never smoked, I don’t need to worry about lung cancer.
True False
4 There is no treatment for lung cancer.
True False
5 Following a healthy diet reduces my risk of lung cancer
True False
1. TRUE Lung cancer mainly affects older people. It’s rare in people younger than 40, and the rates of lung cancer rise sharply with age. It is most commonly diagnosed in people aged 70 to 74. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, accounting for over 85 percent of cases.
2. FALSE The most common symptoms of lung cancer are a cough that won’t go away, a sudden change in a cough you’ve had for a long time, being short of breath, coughing up blood, chest pains, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, and ongoing chest infections. If you have any of these symptoms, you should see your GP.
3. FALSE It’s true that smoking is by far the leading risk factor for lung cancer, but you don’t have to be a smoker to get it. More than 40,000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year in non-smokers. In these cases, lung cancer can be caused by exposure to radon, secondhand smoke, air pollution, and exposure to certain carcinogenic agents at work.
4. FALSE Treatment depends on the type of cancer and how far it’s spread. If the condition is diagnosed early and the cancerous cells are confined to a small area, surgery to remove the affected area of the lung is usually recommended. If it’s already spread too far, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are usually the next steps in treatment. 5. FALSE Research suggests that eating a low-fat, highfibre diet, including at least five portions a day of fresh fruit and vegetables and plenty of whole grains, can reduce your risk of lung cancer. There’s also evidence to show that regular exercise can lower the risk of developing lung cancer.