Lung Cancer in Men

Still the leader in cancer deaths, lung cancer is also one of the most preventable cancers. Here’s what you need to know to prevent lung cancer.

Why should I care about lung cancer?

If you’ve never smoked cigarettes, your risk of lung cancer is low. If you currently smoke, especially if you are a heavy smoker, your risk of developing lung cancer can be 30 times higher than the risk for a nonsmoker.

More than 90% of lung cancers in men are the result of smoking. That means nine out of 10 cases of the disease could be completely prevented. What else increases your risk? How long you’ve smoked and how heavily will determine how high your risk of developing lung cancer is.

Other risk factors include:

• Exposure to radon gas. This colorless, odorless radioactive gas that is emitted by soil and rock can build up inside well-insulated homes.
• Exposure to asbestos. This risk factor typically applies to workers who handle asbestos.
• Family history of cancer. Having first-degree relatives with lung cancer increases your risk.

Although new treatments have improved the prognosis for people diagnosed with lung cancer, the chances of surviving the disease are still poor — only around 15%. For reasons that aren’t well understood, the odds are particularly slim for men.

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 200,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year, and more than 160,000 Americans die of the disease. What makes those numbers even grimmer is that there was a time when the disease was relatively uncommon. Then came the mass marketing of cigarettes — and lung cancer deaths began to rise. Despite massive anti-smoking campaigns, however, the power of advertising, the glamorization of smoking in film, the influence of parental smoking, and the addictive quality of nicotine mean many young men continue to light up.

What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer typically occurs after long-term exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. Smoking or asbestos damages lung cells, creating mutations in the cells' genetic code (DNA). After years of damage to their DNA, the cells veer out of control — growing, multiplying, and traveling where they don't belong. Eventually, they interfere with normal bodily functions, in the lungs or elsewhere.

Unfortunately, there are no good screening tests for lung cancer (as there are for colon cancer, for example). Some researchers have argued that low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans can detect very small tumors early enough to remove them and increase the odds of survival. But a 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the screening tests were not effective in preventing advanced disease or death from lung cancer. The researchers’ conclusion: Screening tests for lung cancer are not recommended for patients who don’t have symptoms such as chronic cough, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

Because there are no good ways to screen for lung cancer, most cases are not diagnosed until the disease is advanced. Lung cancer often spreads to other parts of the body, including the brain or bone. When it has spread, it is almost impossible to treat.