When a cell in a body starts growing uncontrollably, it is termed cancer. When a cell in the lungs behaves this way, the medical condition is termed lung cancer. We are familiar with the main cause behind this fatal condition, which is smoking tobacco, both direct and passive. The other cases include exposure to asbestos fibres and radon gas, familial nature, various lung diseases, exposure to air pollution, prior history of lung cancer, exposure to diesel etc. Let us today find out how we can reduce the risk of lung cancer.
Table of contents:
1. Quit smoking
2. Teach your kids the fatal side effects of smoking
3. Check for radon
4. Occupational risks
5. Diet
6. Exercise
7. Supplements might be dangerous
- Quit smoking: the first and foremost decision is to give up smoking. Both direct and passive. According to studies, 90% of lung cancer cases are due to smoking. If you don’t want to be at risk, you must quit it immediately. Doesn’t matter how long you have been smoking, you need to quit to be on the safer side. If you don’t smoke, avoid being a passive smoker. Avoid people who smoke. Lose a friend if necessary but quit passive smoking.
- Teach your kids the fatal side effects of smoking: Today kids enjoy more exposure than we used to enjoy when we were young. So we need to warn them right from a tender age, how fatal smoking is. We need to teach them this by not to smoke ourselves because they learn from our behaviour.
- Check for radon: Research says radon (an odourless gas emitted from decomposing uranium in the soil) is the principal cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the next principal cause in smokers. Radon detecting devices are available both online and in hardware shops.
- Occupational risks: On-job exposure to carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) is another crucial cause of lung cancer in men and women. 12 occupational agents have been identified to be carcinogenic to the lungs by The International Agency for Research on Cancer. These are arsenic, asbestos, bis-chloromethyl ether, beryllium, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, crystalline silica, nickel, radon, soot, byproducts of aluminium production and fumes from coke and coal gasification.
- It is mandatory for the employer to provide the employees with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). The employees are requested to read the documents very carefully and ask for the required protective gear.
- Diet: To increase the immunity of our system we need to add lots of fruits and vegetables to our regular diet. It could give us the necessary vitamins and minerals required to reduce the risk of lung cancer.
- Exercise: You must exercise regularly to decrease the risk of lung cancer. Regular exercises improve the functions of the lungs and decrease the congregation of carcinogens in them. It improves our immunity, reduces inflammations and helps our body to repair damaged DNA in lung cells.
- Supplements might be dangerous: There are a few companies who are misguiding their customers into believing that their supplements can prevent lung cancer. To be honest there are no such supplements that can prevent or cure lung cancer. On the other hand, adverse reactions might happen. So please stay away from these supplements.
Dr Saptarshi Ghosh
Dr Saptarshi Ghosh has done MD-Radiation Oncology and has been serving people for the last 10 years. He excels in head and neck cancer, breast cancer, throat cancer, gynecological cancer and Genitourinary Cancer. He practices at Siliguri Nursing Home. He is always available to guide you with your queries on cancer. He believes that prevention is always better than cure. So let’s follow the above-mentioned guidelines and prevent ourselves and our families and friends from the risk of lung cancer.
