This topic deserves an introduction. Why? Because it is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. How many of you have ever heard of Lung Cancer Awareness Month? Exactly. That’s probably because Breast Cancer Awareness Month probably stole its light in October. Unfortunately, breast cancer does not cause the most mortality in the United States, lung cancer does; that goes for men and for women. Why is this? Probably because there is not a unified and inexpensive diagnostic screening method for lung cancer as there is for breast cancer. Lung cancer causes almost double the number of deaths per year as breast, colon/rectal, and prostate cancers. Nonsmokers living with smokers have more than a 30% increased risk for developing lung cancer, regardless of whether or not the smoker is physically smoking around the nonsmoker or not. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may protect against the development of lung cancer in smokers. However, high dose supplements of beta-carotene (also found in carrots) has been shown to increase the risk for lung cancer and is not recommended. So there you go. I have increased your knowledge about lung cancer in a matter of a few minutes. Hopefully now you will remember that every november is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and that you will remember to include lung cancer in your differential and to screen folks for it when necessary.
Most Commons in Pulmonology
Cough - Most common complaint seen in outpatient setting
Dyspnea (difficulty breathing) - common complain at emergency department
COPD - most common respiratory disease; 3rd leading cause of death in US
Most common cause of COPD - cigarette smoking
Most common bacterial pathogens in COPD are: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis
Asthma - most common in children
More common in male children
Prevalence changes to adult women after puberty
Most common in Caucasians
Most are categorized as moderate persistent
More common in obese individuals
Most common Interstitial Lung Diseases
(1) Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) - idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP)
(2) Sarcoidosis - idiopathic, granulomatous
(3) Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP) - known cause, granulomatous
