Danger! Are you in the high-risk group that lung cancer "favors"? Check out these indicators!

November of each year is "Global Lung Cancer Awareness Month", and November 17 is designated as "International Lung Cancer Day" , which aims to raise the attention of countries to lung cancer prevention, enhance the public's awareness of cancer prevention and treatment, and popularize standardized lung cancer diagnosis and treatment knowledge to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Experts from Yiyang Central Hospital said that in our lives, we often mention "people who are prone to lung cancer". This is not absolute, but refers to those groups facing higher risks.

Although high-risk factors make these people need special attention, people without risk factors are not completely safe either. Therefore, we should work together to understand the high-risk groups for lung cancer, enhance vigilance, and better protect our own health.

1. Dangers of Smoking: Long-term Smokers

Smoking is considered the number one enemy of lung cancer!

Tobacco contains more than 3,000 chemical substances, some of which are carcinogenic, such as benzopyrene and nitrosamines, which have strong carcinogenic activity. The risk rises sharply when the smoking index exceeds 400 and the age is over 40. In addition, passive smoking cannot be ignored. Second-hand smoke and even third-hand smoke are also potential killers.

2. Old friends of the lungs: patients with underlying diseases

Some patients with chronic diseases may have an inextricable relationship with lung cancer, such as tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, etc. These diseases not only affect lung function, but also lead to insufficient oxygen and reduced activity of cells, thereby increasing the incidence of lung cancer.

Chronic inflammation and fibrous scar lesions in the lung bronchi may induce squamous epithelial hyperplasia during the healing process and further develop into cancer.

3. The shadow of family inheritance: families with a history of lung cancer

If there is someone with lung cancer in your family, you may also be in the "high-risk group".

Familial aggregation and genetic susceptibility can increase the risk of lung cancer. Many studies have shown that genetic factors play an important role in the face of environmental carcinogens. Especially when there are multiple direct relatives in the family who suffer from lung cancer before the age of 40, the heritability of this situation is more obvious.

4. Invisible Killers in the Air: Living in Severely Polluted Areas

Large cities, industrialized areas and places with poor air quality are hotbeds for increased lung cancer risk. Indoor air pollution, such as secondhand smoke, coal smoke and kitchen fumes, is also a contributing factor.

For those who are frequently exposed to dust or special chemicals (such as asbestos, beryllium, uranium, and radon), the risk of lung cancer will increase significantly if they do not take proper occupational protection.

5. Prevention and screening: protecting lives

If you meet the above conditions, you may consider regular low-dose spiral CT scans of the chest. Early detection of lung cancer can often lead to a radical cure through surgery, thus avoiding life-threatening situations.

In addition, it is very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle: quitting smoking, staying away from secondhand smoke, improving indoor ventilation, maintaining good eating habits, increasing exercise, and regular physical examinations can effectively reduce the risk of lung cancer. Let us work together to protect our health and stay away from the shadow of lung cancer!

References

Chinese Medical Association Guidelines for Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Cancer (2024 Edition)

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhou Xiang from Yiyang Central Hospital

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(Edited by YT)