Causes, Statistics, and Epidemiology of Lung Cancer Between Genders

Project 2 Paper – Lung Cancer between Genders
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Introduction According to the recent data collected by lung cancer is one of the most widespread and fatal diseases that afflicts millions around the world. In the United States alone, about 234,050 cases have been diagnosed and 154,050 of these patients have died even before the end of 2018 (Cancer.org, 2018). What is even surprising is that among the total cases of cancers, lung cancer has killed even more than colon, breast, and prostate cancer combined. Coupled with recent studies showing a steady increase in the number of cases in urban areas, different institutions have now placed great emphasis towards curbing this trend. State efforts such as establishment of no-smoking zones, constant checking of vehicle exhaust fumes, and even imposing heavier taxes on cigarettes have been the result of this knowledge. Despite this, it is apparent that lung cancer is still prevalent within the country. In some reports, scholars say that gender is one of the reasons why these numbers are still rising. In this study, this hazard rate to gender ratio as proposed by other scholars would be analyzed. To start with, this paper would first identify what is lung cancer, including its causes, statistics, and its epidemiology. After this, statistics would be used to figure out if a correlation indeed exist between gender and hazard ratio. All in all, the authors of this article believes that while statistics might show more women afflicted with lung cancer than men, a look at the wider picture (bigger data) through cross-sectional and longitudinal data would show that men and women are exposed to the same hazards of the disease. A result that would show that exposure to such should be reduced for both men and women. Lung Cancer When talking about lung cancer, scholars refer to the abnormal cell growth that starts from the “two spongy organs” in a person’s chest (MayoClinic.Org, 2018). Usually, people who become diagnosed with lung cancer experiences recurring symptoms of cough, chest pain, bone pain (near the ribs), weight loss, and coughing out blood, among others. Regular presence of these symptoms are considered as ‘red flags’ for doctors, which means that anyone should consult immediately once they experience it. While most people think that lung cancer is the same, what makes it even more complicated is that fact that lung cancer exists in many forms. The two main forms of lung cancer are Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). These two distinctions could even be narrowed down to Large Cell Carcinomas, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Adenocarcinoma, etc. for the either SCLC or NSCLC (Marks, 2017). The complexity of its types, causes, and required treatment for each is the main reason why lung cancers are not only hard to diagnose, but even hard to treat.   Causes of Lung Cancer According to recent reports, that the leading cause of lung cancer is cigarette smoking. Particularly, this refers to the inhalation of either second-hand or first-hand smoke, with the preceding being the greatest source. As according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, second hand smoking causes abo...