cancer stages
cancer symptoms
lung cancer
lung cancer signs
lung cancer stages
Prognosis
small cell cancer
smoking lung cancer
symptoms lung cancer
symptoms of cancer
The fact important about lung cancer what you should know
Lung cancer has been divided in
accordance with aspects of the morphology of the cells under the microscope.
The building blocks of the body's cells. With the need for the body to keep
cells healthy grow, divide and multiply. Sometimes cells divide in between
them, even if there's no need to recopy, and mass cells extra forming a tumor
or cancer. growth that fast and out of control of cells the lungs called lung
cancer. Two forms are lung cancer cell, small and non-cell small.
Treatment is different with each
type of cancer in the lungs because it spreads in a different way. lung cancer
not the cells are small, are spread and grow slowly, is the most common of the
two. karsinoma sel skuamosa, adenokarsinoma, and karsinoma sel big three main
kinds of cancer. lung cancer cells are small, also known as cancer cell oat,
not so common. Cancer this type spreads quickly and can reach various organs of
the body.
At this time, the cancer this type
has terakreditasi a form of cancer that is most deadly in countries advanced a
lot, including the United States where 170.000 people died because of this
disease every year. Lung cancer takes many years to develop together even if
the change of the lungs started immediately after exposure karsinogen.
The prime cause is breathing
karsinogen through the cigarette smoke of smokers and non-smokers. Cigarette
with the exposure environment against randon compounds the risk of cancer.
Besides this, it is considered as a risk of the job between people who work in
industrial asbestos, which was defined as cancer of the mesothelioma in the
lungs.
Lung cancer mainly affects people
over fifty and they also have a habit of smoking for long. Depending on the
location of the tumor in the lungs, the symptoms vary. cough chronics, pain the
chest, shortness of breath, and infection lungs over and over are some of the
symptoms common.
Diagnosis the tumour is based on
symptoms, history of smoking, history of family and exposure before the
substance of work and the environment. Diagnosis confirmation can be done by
rontgen chest. To determine the stadium's cancer for a few tests available to
diagnose lung cancer not cells little or small. professional medical tend to
diagnose whether cancer terlokalisir in the lungs or has spread to other parts
of Your body.
Stop smoking is the best way to
prevent to begin with cancer in the lungs. You gradually can lower the risk of
cancer in the lungs more 10-15 years as a restore of Your lungs, if You quit
smoking at age early.
The treatment of cancer in the
lungs can happen by chemotherapy (cell-cancer cells can be destroyed by drugs),
radioterapi (to eliminate cell-cell tumour of the x-rays dose high or light
energetic high other) or surgery (removal of cancer). The treatment of the
final stages is difficult with the level of success of the moderates in the
early stages of the treatment of cancer in the lungs.
I know one there are a ton of
article on lung cancer in the whole web, and I know I can get a bit 'sad to go
through a lot. I life compiled everything investigated so it can be useful for
other people. I took months of research in the guide useful. No charge of
course and I think You will appreciate the simplicity. About
MyLungCancerGuide.com. While You're in there, You will find this article on
lung cancer and many items other useful, very straight forward.
Lung Cancer Awareness - Know How This Could Help You
Only
about 10% of all patients cured at the end considering that the
majority of the tumor was diagnosed at stage relatively late. There's
a chance 50% death in less than one year, if the person with lung
cancer can't be cured with surgery when cancer was found.
Who's
at risk?
There
are several a risk factor that can make it more likely to develop
cancer in the lungs. Some kind of cancer has a risk factor different.
Although there are several causes, the researchers found that most of
them are associated with smoking.
A
risk factor for lung cancer cells are small, including smoking. This
is the most famous because of lung cancer. This includes smoking
cigarettes, cigars or pipes in the past; Exposure cigarette smoke;
Exposure asbestos or radon.
Up
to 90% of patients or smokers. A lot of left wing 10% were exposed to
second hand cigarette smoke. karsinogen in tobacco is the substance
dangerous damaged cells in the lungs. Cells are damaged, then it
could be cancer. broken cells in the tissue lung gradually returns to
normal when someone stops smoking before the cancer began to develop.
Probability
got cancer smokers is difficult to predict, but in general the extent
of the cancer depends on: age started smoking; How long they have
been smoking; How many cigarettes they smoke per day.
Cigar
and pipe
Some
factors must also be considered as cigar and pipe smokers have a risk
higher have cancer in the lungs compared to non-smokers: the number
of years someone smokes; the Number of pipes or cigars are smoked per
day; How in their secretary of defense. Even the smoking of cigars
and pipes that don't breathe are at increased risk for lung, mouth,
and kind of-kind of keganasan, as well as the risk of developing lung
cancer.
Kind
of
A
gene called GRPR causes the growth of cells that are not used in
people exposed to cigarette smoke. The gene is more active in women
than in men. This may explain why women are more vulnerable to cancer
in the lungs compared to men.
Diet
Some
evidence shows fruit and vegetables can protect against lung cancer.
Research has shown a diet low in fruit and vegetables can increase
the odds of got cancer if exposed to smoke tobacco.
Disease
Lung
disease-lung specific, like tuberkulosis (TB) can increase the odds
of someone exposed to lung cancer. Lungs marked with TB seems to
develop adenokarsinoma lung cancer.
Some
facts more about lung cancer: lung Cancer kills more people than
another form of cancer. Only 10% of all patients healed in the end
because most of the cancer in the lungs was diagnosed at stage
relatively late. Eight of ten tumor in the lungs caused smoke
tobacco. The American Cancer Society estimates 164.000 case of a new
cancer is diagnosed every year in the U.S. and around 157.000 people
died because of this disease every year. This is a good reason to
compete with the awareness of cancer.
I
know one there's a lot of information about lung cancer that spread
all over the web, and I know I can get a bit 'sad to go through a
lot. I life compiled everything investigated so it can be useful for
other people. I took months of research in the guide useful. No
charge of course and I think You will appreciate the simplicity.
About MyLungCancerGuide.com. While You're in there, You will find
this article on Cancer of the Lung Awareness and a lot of items of
other useful, very straight forward.
Lung
cancer is a very serious cancer. This is deadly, especially when the
growth of uncontrolled cells is abnormal in the lungs has spread to
organs other inside the body.
Cells-cancer
cells can divide and can spread to other parts of the body to form a
site for a secondary, make it more fatal.
When
cancer is in the advanced, is the management of a little 'more
difficult. It may help to know that that is detected early-stage lung
cancer is best to ensure that the choice to put lung cancer in digger
or something.
If
detected early-stage lung cancer didn't happen, diagnosis in the
advanced may be more difficult to manage the symptoms and it can also
be too difficult.
the
treatment of lung cancer really depends on the severity of disease.
Know the kind of lung cancer You suffer from can help in the
management of the disease.
There
are two types of lung cancer, lung cancer cell small, and lung cancer
non-cell small.
lung
cancer cell small or karsinoma sel oat lungs covering twenty-five
percent of all cases of lung cancer. The leading cause of lung cancer
cancer cells little cigarette smoke.
Generally,
because of symptoms of lung cancer doesn't happen in the early stages
of the disease, treat it will be a big problem especially when
detection happens when metastasis of cancer or cell tumor secondary
that's been developed in the organs of the body to another.
lung
cancer not the cells are small, on the other hand, involve a
different kind of a tumor lungs. Diferensiasi kind of lung cancer not
cells little depending on the type of cell exposed.
Three
kinds of common of lung cancer not cells little is karsinoma sel
skuamosa, adenokarsinoma, and karsinoma sel big.
Forms
lung cancer cells non-small tend to grow and spread more slowly than
karsinoma lung cells small.
Karsinoma
sel skuamosa is lung cancer the most common non-cell small. The kind
of lung cancer not cell small starting in the bronkus big and stay
confined to the breast cancer other than the lungs, because of this,
the cancer don't spread more quickly than the other kind.
Adenocarcinoma,
the leading cause of of lung cancer not cells little is still a
challenge for experts medical. Thus, experts continue to study the
leading cause of cancer. Even with this research is delayed, smoke
and breathe the air pure still considered as the main in the extent
of lung cancer.
Doctors
believe that the tumor in this kind of lung cancer is at the edge of
the outside of the lungs and under the layer of bronkus. Development
of lung cancer is not cells little average but the chances of
survival about 10% of the stock.
Adenokarsinoma
is for 30-35 percent of all cases of lung cancer in America.
lung
cancer cells big is a lung cancer cell other non-small. The Tumor in
this kind of cancer of the lungs is the bronchi smallest. Fifteen
percent of cases of lung cancer are lung cancer cells big.
Among
all lung cancer is not a cell little, what kind of lung cancer to
evolve more quickly, almost to the level of the cell small lung
cancer.
Of
the lung case cancer is fourteen percent of all cases of cancer in
the United States. At worst, twenty-eight percent of all death among
patients with cancer is the case of lung cancer.
To
avoid being part of the statistics on lung cancer, does not guarantee
that You will get a lung cancer cell, small or even lung cancer cell
slowest non-small with living a lifestyle healthy and active.
Sports
regularly, eat a diet balanced and avoid exposure to pure air,
including the smoke will help strengthen the immune system and this
will avoid to get the disease deadly.
Lung
cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer in the population
of the U.S. and the Western world. Lung cancer became the leading
cause of death due to cancer in the united States, but since 1988,
women have caught up with men and then lung cancer is the leading
cause of death due to cancer in women too. More than 170.000 cases of
lung cancer diagnosed in the United States every year. Very lucky few
recover from a terrible disease this is. Approximately 157.000 people
died as a direct result of lung cancer.
Death
is associated with lung cancer beyond the level of combined death of
(breast cancer) second, third (cancer of his prostate) and fourth
(cancer colon) leading cause of death cancer. How will we react if it
crashes every day a Boing 747 and all the passengers die? That's what
happens with lung cancer. About 430 people die every day because of
lung cancer.
Despite
the high mortality rate due to cancer, lung cancer received a lot of
attention less than any other kind of cancer, especially breast
cancer. Research about lung cancer receives far less funding, and the
general public to take interest far lower on lung cancer. Although
lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer among men and
women, in the field of lung cancer going on very little research and
scientific advance.
An
estimated $ 1.723 death due to cancer is spent on research about lung
cancer where as the number that is appropriate for breast cancer ($
13.953), cancer of his prostate ($ 10,318) and cancer kolorektal
(4618) much higher. It should be noted that the Department of Defense
breast cancer, cancer of the ovarium and cancer his prostate but no
lung cancer.
Part
of the problem associated with the funding of research for lung
cancer is the fact that, there are not many survivors of lung cancer
to lobbied the cause of lung cancer. mortality rate high associated
with lung cancer leaves very few survivors to fight for their goals,
and even those who survived was lucky not to be in health which is
very good, because most of the victim this is the patient who has to
undergo reseksi vast lungs .
There
is also the stigma associated with lung cancer. Not like any other
kind of risk cancer lung cancer linked closely with smoking. Many who
deal with patients lung cancer and patients think that disease is a
direct result of behavior. It filled the guilt of a patient with lung
cancer tend to blame themselves. It also acts against any program
fundraiser devoted to lung cancer, where people unconsciously feel
that lung cancer is a disease that these patients brought on
themselves.
More
funding and research is needed for lung cancer. We all should join
our hands to fight the enemy this sad of the human species.
Patogenesis
lung cancer like cancer of the other, starting early diinduksi agent
events of a long period promotion and progress in the process of
multi steps. Smoking is started and promote karsinogenesis. The
initiation done soon to change the same genetic between smokers and
ex-event (z 3P removal of mutated p53), as proven. The smoke thus
causing the "effect field" epitel lungs, populations of
large cells starting distribution and the increase in the probability
transformation. Keep exposure smoke tobacco has been allowed to
accumulate mutations extra because of irritating the chronics and
promoters in cigarette smoke (amount of nicotine's formalin for
example., Is phenol) promotion because. The time delay between
smoking and cancer, the early beginning is usually long and requires
20-25 years to the development of cancer. Reduce the risk of cancer
after quitting smoking, but cells getting there can flourish. If
karsinogen else continue with process.
SCLC
and NSCLC were treated different, because it (i) comes from the cells
are different, (ii) undergo the process of patogenesis different and
(iii) to accumulate genetic mutations are different. SCLC carries
frequent mutations in c-KIT, p53 and R.B., while often NSCLC, MYC,
Bcl2, mutations EGFR, KRAS, CD44 and p16. This is all well onkogen or
gen supresor tumor. See genetics and biology chapter cancer cancer
for an explanation of how a mutation like this can cause cancer.
Similar
to a lot of cancer other lung cancer begins with the activation
onkogen or inaktivasi gen supresor tumor. Karsinogen causing mutation
on the gene this causes the development of cancer. Mutation in K-ras
proto-onkogen responsible for 10-30% of adenokarsinoma the lungs.
About 4% of cancer cell lung non-small involving gene fusion EML4-ALK
tyrosine kinase. Change epigenetik - like changes metilasi DNA,
modification of histon tails or rules microRNA - it can cause
inaktivasi gen supresor tumor. Reseptor to reseptor factor the growth
of epidermal (EGFR) regulates proliferation of cells, apoptosis,
angiogenesis and invasion of tumor. Mutation and amplifikasi EGFR are
common in cell karsinoma lung non-small, and give the basis for
treatment with inhibitor EGFR. HER2 / neu is influenced more rare.
genes other that is often mutated or amplified are c-MET, NKX2-1,
LKB1, PIK3CA, and BRAF. Line cells is not fully understood origin.
The mechanism might include activation abnormal stem cells. In stem
cells the drains breath proksimal express keratin 5 are more likely
to be affected, usually causing karsinoma sel skuamosa the lungs. In
the air central, the stem cells involved the club cells and the cells
neuroepithelial who expressed protein cell sekretori club. Karsinoma
sel small lungs that can be derived from the line cell or cell
neuroendokrin and can express CD44. Metastasis of lung cancer
requires transition from epitel to cell types mesenchymal. This
problem can happen with the path signal activated Akt / GSK3Beta,
MEK-ERK, Fas and Par6.
Genetic mutations that cause cancer
generally occur in two types of genes:
Tumor-suppressor genes, which
prevent cells from endlessly copying themselves
Proto-oncogenes, which encourage
cells to keep making copies of themselves [when a proto-oncogene changes
(becomes mutated), it is then called an oncogene]
Damage to either type of gene can
cause a mutation that results in uncontrolled division of cells. This
uncontrolled division forms tumors.
Cancer can be the result of a
genetic predisposition that is inherited from family members. It is possible to
be born with certain genetic mutations or a fault in a gene that makes one
statistically more likely to develop cancer later in life. Genetic
predispositions are thought to either directly cause lung cancer or greatly
increase one's chances of developing lung cancer from exposure to certain
environmental factors.
Lung cancer is the most common
cause of cancer death worldwide, with over one million cases annually. The
five-year relative survival rate for lung cancer is only 10-15%. In
approximately 90% of the cases, cigarette smoking is the main etiologic factor.
We often associate lung cancer with
tobacco, but 25-year-old Matthew Hiznay is a lung cancer patient who never
smoked a cigarette. He is battling a rare form of genetic lung cancer for the
second time in less than two years.
Screening tumor samples for
cancer-causing genetic mutations can help physicians tailor treatment to
specifically target those mutations in patients with advanced lung cancer.
Other risk factors include radon
exposure, or exposure to nickel-, chrome-, cadmium-, arsenic- and asbestos
compounds. Lung cancer sometimes aggregates in families, suggesting that
genetic predisposition may also play a role in the development of lung cancer.
It is unlikely that a single
specific abnormality causes all lung cancer. It probably takes a variety of
mutations to start the devastating chain of events leading to cancer. The
following mutations are among those under investigation:
EGFR mutations: EGFR (epidermal
growth factor receptor gene) is a family of genes that can mutate and promote
tumor growth. This gene mutation is often implicated in non-smokers. HER2 is a
related gene under study that plays a role in regulating cell growth.
BPDE-caused mutations: The chemical
BPDE, a byproduct of tobacco smoke, is involved with a number of genetic
mutations, including those to an oncogene called K-ras and to three
tumor-suppressor genes known as p53, PPP2R1B, and p16. (Tumors that contain the
p53 mutation may also be more resistant to chemotherapy.)
Rb mutations: Another important
contributor to lung cancer is a genetically defective protein called retinoblastoma
(Rb), which is associated with very aggressive tumors. Low levels of the normal
Rb gene may sometimes predict aggressive cancer, especially in patients with
small cell lung cancer.
Abnormalities in the FHIT gene:
Such abnormalities may cause the cells lining the lung to become more
vulnerable to the effects of tobacco smoke and other cancer-causing substances.
Alpha1-antitrypsin mutations:
People who carry a common variation in the gene for alpha1-antitrypsin -- a
substance that normally protects the walls of the alveoli in the lungs -- are
70% more likely to develop lung cancer than those without the mutation,
regardless of whether they smoke.
Many other gene mutations have been
implicated including BRCA1,RAP80, RRM1, ERCC1, and TS. Scientists continue to
explore the complex relationship between various genes that play a role in cell
production and what environmental factors give rise to cancer.
Medical centers are beginning to
test tumors for specific gene mutations affecting tumor growth. The hope is
that an accurate "genetic fingerprint" can help doctors prescribe the
most effective and appropriate treatment options.
When Hiznay was about to begin his
second year of medical school at the University of Toledo College of Medicine,
a persistent dry cough sent him to his family doctor, who made a preliminary
diagnosis of a lung disease — sarcoidosis — and referred him to Cleveland
Clinic.
A new study detected one of ten
such mutations in 54 percent of the 516 lung cancer patients tested at
diagnosis. The results enabled doctors to select the most appropriate drug
designed to block the identified mutation and choose other treatment options
for those patients whose tumors did not have a mutation.
Air pollution caused by industry, power plants and vehicles
of various types raises the likelihood of developing Lung Cancer in persons who
are exposed polluted air. Approximately one-percent of the deaths from Lung
Cancer are attributed to breathing polluted air. Prolonged exposure to air
pollution may carry risks for developing Lung Cancer which are similar to
Passive Smoking; according to experts. Air pollution can contain trace amounts of diesel exhaust,
coal products, and other industrial substances.
Air pollution is a significant environmental risk factor for
lung cancer. For every increase of 5 μg/m3 of particulate matter (PM) smaller
than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) in the environment, the risk of lung cancer
rises by 18%; for every elevation of 10 μg/m3 in PM smaller than 10 μm (PM10),
the risk increases by 22% (Raaschou-Nielsen et al., 2013). Anthropogenic PM2.5
is associated with 220,000 lung cancer mortalities annually (Anenberg et al.,
2010). Based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity, the International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Working Group recently classified outdoor
air pollution and related PM as Group 1 carcinogenic to humans (Loomis et al.,
2013). However, the carcinogenic mechanism of air pollution remains to be
dissected using systematic approaches.
Air pollution is killing about 4,400 people in China every
single day, according to a new study. Exposure to air pollution has many impacts across the
lifespan and has now been linked to survival of patients after being diagnosed
with lung cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer over the past several
decades.
People most susceptible to severe health problems from air
pollution are:
Individuals with heart disease - such as coronary artery
disease or congestive heart failure
Individuals with lung disease - such as asthma, emphysema or
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Pregnant women
Outdoor workers
Children under age 14, whose lungs are still developing
Athletes who exercise vigorously outdoors
Air pollution is a major environmental issue affecting people
across the world. According to the World Health Organisation(WHO), more than 2
million people worldwide die every year from air pollution. Of all the air
pollutants, fine particulate matter (PM) is one of the most hazardous pollution
for the human health. The particulate matter causes about 9% of lung cancer
deaths worldwide, 5% of cardiopulmonary deaths and about 1% of respiratory
infection deaths. According to the WHO, there is mounting evidence that
concentration of particulate matter is increasing in Asia. Particulate matter
mostly originates from dust storms, grassland fires, burning of fossil fuels in
vehicles, power plants, but also various industrial plants generate significant
amounts of particulates. The interactive map shows that South Asia is badly hit
by pollution caused by particulate matter. While Pakistan has the highest
concentration of particulate matter, countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and India
are placed by the WHO in a category called “unhealthy for the sensitive
people”. That means people in these countries suffering from respiratory and
heart disease, as well as elderly and children should limit outdoor exertion.
Air pollution in China is as bad, if not worse, than in India but according to
the WHO,the particulate matter concentration in China and in countries such as
Myanmar, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Indonesia remains moderate. There is the
least presence of particulate matter in Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand,
Singapore and Japan.
In a groundbreaking Oct. 17 announcement, the International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health
Organization, classified outdoor air pollution as a known cause of lung cancer.
The agency also found that particulate matter (PM), a major component of air
pollution better known as “soot,” is a known cause of lung cancer.After an extensive review of more than 1,000
scientific studies from five continents, a committee of some of the world’s
leading experts on air pollution and health convened by the IARC Monographs
Programme concluded that there is sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor
air pollution causes lung cancer. Though IARC has previously evaluated the
health impacts of various components of outdoor air pollution, such as diesel
engine exhaust, metals, and solvents, this is the first time that outdoor air
pollution in general has been classified as a cause of cancer.
High air pollution levels can cause immediate health
problems:
Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness
Added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to
supply the body with oxygen
Damaged cells in the respiratory system
Researchers from Berkeley Earth, a California-based climate
research organization, calculated that about 1.6 million people in China die
every year from health issues caused by the country’s notoriously polluted air.
“We thought that if ambient air pollution is a carcinogen
that can drive lung cancer development, then exposure to air pollution in
patients already diagnosed with lung cancer could promote the progression of
their disease through the same biological pathways,” said Sandrah Eckel,
assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of
USC and lead author of the research. Eckel and colleagues at the Keck School
decided to more closely explore the question of whether lung cancer survival
times might be affected by air pollution.
The particulate matter represents a complex mixture of solid
and liquid particles suspended in the air, many of which are hazardous. These
particles are either directly emitted into the air by sources such as smoke,
dust, pollen, or formed in the atmosphere by transformation of emitted gases.
The particulate matter can adversely affect human health and also have an impact
on climate and precipitation. On the basis of size, the particulate matter is
divided into two categories. The particles up to 10 micrometers in size are
called PM 10 and smaller particles of 2.5 micrometer in size are called PM2.5.
The WHO has measured outdoor air pollution caused by both types of the
particulate matter and according to these findings, air can be contaminated by
a range of different particles of which many can harm our health, especially
very small particles that enter into the lungs and bloodstream and cause the
most serious health problems. In Asia, like in other regions of the world,
pollution caused by particulate matter is spreading to new areas. The graph,
based on the data obtained from the WHO, ranks Asian countries according to the
PM10 level in the air. As the data suggests, Pakistan is the most polluted
country in the region in terms of particulate matter concentration in the air.
It is followed by Bangladesh, India, Nepal, China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, South
Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Japan.
The IARC evaluation found strong scientific evidence of an
increased risk of lung cancer with increasing exposure to air pollution in
general and issued a similar finding for particulate matter. Although the
composition of air pollution and levels of exposure can vary dramatically
between locations worldwide, the IARC conclusions apply to all regions of the
world. The IARC assessment of the link between PM and lung cancer contrasts
with findings from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2009 assessment
of the PM health science,which
classified the PM-lung cancer scientific evidence as only “suggestive of a
causal relationship.”
Long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health
effects:
Accelerated aging of the lungs
Loss of lung capacity
Decreased lung function
Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis,
emphysema, and possibly cancer
Shortened life span
According to the study, more than one-third of the Chinese
population regularly breathe air that would be considered “unhealthy” by U.S.
standards.
Their research, published this month in Thorax, shows that
the length of time that lung cancer patients live after diagnosis varies
depending on their exposures to regional pollution. Researchers found that the
median survival for people diagnosed with early stage lung cancers who lived in
areas with high levels of regional pollution was approximately three years
shorter than for people who lived in areas with lower levels of pollution.
Air pollution in some Asian cities is so bad that at times,
the cities are enveloped by a blanket of smog that impedes visibility.
According to the WHO,air pollution has worsened in Asian cities in recent years
and presents a threat to human health. In many cities the levels of fine
particulate matter - a key pollutant in terms of its impact on human health -
are exceeding the critical limit (as defined by the WHO), specifically in
densely populated, fast-growing and less developed countries like China, India,
Pakistan and Bangladesh. Even in small Asian cities like Kathmandu, the
particulate matter level exceeds the most lenient of several targets
recommended by the WHO. Over the last few years, China has been in the news for
heavy pollution in its cities with the skies being completely blanketed by
smog. India and Pakistan, however, have the dubious distinction of having the
most polluted cities in the region. If we take a look at the statistics
concerning capital cities in Asia, the air pollution caused by the particulate
matter is worst in Delhi. It is closely followed by Islamabad, Dhaka, Beijing
and Kathmandu.
The IARC findings have significant implications for U.S. air
pollution control efforts. The EPA sets air quality standards to protect public
health based on assessments of the health effects of individual pollutants
rather than outdoor air pollution in general.Air pollution control rules are then developed for specific sources of
these individual pollutants in order to achieve the health-based standards.
As The New York Times notes, air pollution — particularly
exposure to fine airborne particles — can cause a variety of health problems,
including asthma, lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. The World Health
Organization said last year that 7 million people die annually because of exposure
to polluted air.
“We focused on California, since there are a wide range of
air pollution levels here and one of the largest and longest running air
quality monitoring networks and cancer registry system in the U.S.,” Eckel
said.
Air pollution is one of the main causes of premature deaths
in the world. Of all major global health risks, outdoor air pollution in the
form of fine particles is found to be much more dangerous for public health
than previously known - contributing annually to over 2 million premature
deaths worldwide. The WHO global study ranks air pollution as one of the top 10
killers in the world, with 65 percent of all air pollution deaths occurring in
Asia. In 2010 alone, particulate matter pollution was the fourth-leading risk
factor for deaths in China, behind high blood pressure and smoking. Across the
region, increasing levels of particulate matter are causing higher numbers of
premature deaths. The graph reveals the human toll due to outdoor air pollution
in 2008, which is the latest comparative data available. A record number of
people have died due to air pollution in the region. In the year 2008 alone,
over half-million people have died in China and India. Other countries in the
region have also suffered heavily from air pollution. On top of that, the
future looks very bleak. By 2050, urban air pollution is estimated to cause up
to 3.6 million premature deaths worldwide each year, mostly in China and India.
However, in the real world, we are exposed to a toxic soup of
various different air pollutants and chemical mixtures, which interact and
combined can have a greater health impact than each of the individual
components. This concept was recognized more than 40 years ago and incorporated
by Congress into the Clean Air Act of 1970, which provides the foundation of
today’s air pollution control efforts. In providing instruction to EPA for
developing air pollutant health assessments, Congress expressly required EPA to
consider “the types of air pollutants which, when present in the atmosphere,
may interact with such pollutant to produce an adverse effect on public health
or welfare” (emphasis added).
China has struggled for years to control its air pollution
problems, which are primarily caused by the burning of coal in factories and
power plants, as well as vehicle use.
Eckel and her team of researchers looked at lung cancer data
from over 350,000 patients in the California Cancer Registry who were diagnosed
with lung cancer between 1988-2009. From the extensive and detailed dataset,
the team assigned air pollution exposure levels based on the average exposure
at the patient’s residence at diagnosis.
Given the generally accepted scientific consensus that even
very low levels of exposure to environmental pollution increases the risk of
cancer, the IARC findings suggest that reductions in U.S. air pollution beyond
levels set as “safe” for individual pollutants, especially for particulate
matter and transportation-related pollutants that were the focus of many of the
reviewed studies, would provide additional public health benefits in avoided
lung cancers.
In April, Greenpeace reported that, of 360 cities in China,
less than 10 percent had successfully met national air quality standards in the
first quarter of 2015.
