Lung Cancer

Lung cancer can cause a variety of symptoms, including:

• Chest pain
• Constant coughing
• Coughing up blood
• Repeated pneumonia
• Shortness of breath
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Tiredness
• Weight loss with unknown cause
• Wheezing coughs

According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body is 63 percent. When it has begun to spread to nearby regions, the survival rate drops to 35 percent. When lung cancer spreads throughout the body, the survival rate is 7 percent.

You can lower your risk of cancer by taking steps to build a healthy lifestyle. Here are some ways you can lower your risk for this disease, as well as improve your overall basic health:

• Avoid using tobacco products. Tobacco has been tied to multiple cancers, and it is responsible for 90 percent of lung cancer deaths.
• Stay physically active. Your physical activity is related to risk for colon and breast cancer. Excess weight gained from inactivity increases the risk of multiple cancers.
• Limit alcohol consumption. It is important to be mindful of how much alcohol you drink. Alcohol intake, even in moderate amounts, can increase the risk for colon, breast, esophageal and oropharyngeal cancer.
• Learn about screenings. Your primary care doctor can recommend appropriate cancer screenings based on your age, personal risk and family history.

The two main risk factors for lung cancer are smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. Cigarette smoking is related to as many as 90 percent of lung cancer deaths. People who smoke are 15 to 30 times more likely to contract lung cancer than non-smokers. Secondhand smoke can also cause lung cancer.

Other risk factors include:

• Diet. Smokers who take beta-carotene supplements are at higher risk, as are people who have arsenic in their drinking water, usually from private wells.
• Personal or family history. Lung cancer survivors, especially smokers, are at risk of another lung cancer. Your risk is also higher if a close relative had lung cancer.
• Radiation therapy. Cancer survivors who underwent radiation therapy are at higher risk for lung cancer.
• Radon. A natural gas in rocks and dirt that can become trapped in your home or workplace. An estimated 1 in 15 American homes have high levels of radon.
• Workplace chemicals. Asbestos, arsenic, diesel fumes, silica and chromium in the workplace can increase lung cancer risk.

• For your first visit, you will be directed to the multidisciplinary clinic on the first floor of the Whitney-Hendrickson Building. Directions to the Whitney-Hendrickson Building.
• You can register at the front desk or registration area, where a Markey team member will help guide you through your appointment.
• Several parking options are available to patients of Markey Cancer Center.
• Please remember to bring your patient packet with the completed forms. These items will help your doctor learn more about your case and determine the best plan for your care.
• To meet our patient needs, UK HealthCare accepts many forms of insurance.

Clinical trials are research studies aimed at evaluating medical, surgical or behavioral interventions to determine if a new treatment is safe and effective.

At UK Markey Cancer Center, we have several clinical trials and research studies open at any one time. In fact, through our Research Network, we offer patients access to clinical trials in multiple locations in Kentucky and West Virginia, serving the people of Kentucky and Appalachia close to home

Markey has more open clinical trials than any other cancer center in the region, giving you access to some of the most advanced options available.