Lung cancer Archive

In October 2024, the CDC lowered the age for healthy adults to receive a pneumococcal vaccine to 50 from 65. It also recommends a second dose of the 2024-25 COVID vaccine for people 65 and older and immunocompromised people six months after their last dose.

Pap tests, the mainstay screening method to detect cervical cancer, are uncomfortable for some women. In mid-2024, the FDA approved a new self-swab test that can detect human papillomavirus, which causes most cases of cervical cancer. The self-swab test collects cells from the vaginal wall instead of the cervix. Clinicians guide women on how to perform the test in a doctor's office. The self-swab method offers women several benefits, including comfort, accuracy, and potentially greater access to screening.

The average cough, typically due to a cold or other respiratory virus, lasts three weeks or less. A lingering or chronic cough lasts eight weeks or longer. Most causes of chronic cough aren't serious, such as bronchitis, seasonal allergies, or medication side effects. People should see a doctor if over-the-counter treatments haven't worked or if they experience signs such as breathlessness, wheezing, chest pain, blood in the sputum, weight loss, or fatigue. Before an appointment, people should track their cough and note its patterns to offer clues for diagnosis.

Sometimes mucus secretions in the lungs can persist after someone starts to get better from a chest cold, flu, pneumonia, or COVID. To cope with the problem, experts recommend two approaches. One is doing exercises that clear the lungs, such as a series of breaths and coughs that dislodges mucus. The other approach is doing exercises that strengthen respiratory muscles. An example is diaphragmatic breathing, a type of deep breathing that relies on the diaphragm muscle located below the lungs.

Of the cancer screening tests for men, tests for colon cancer has the strongest evidence for benefit. Men who opt in for prostate cancer screening may have more options beyond PSA blood testing to more accurately identify aggressive cancers. Other screening tests such as full body scans have not been shown to improve outcomes.

In 2024, RSV vaccinations are recommended for infants and young children; everyone ages 75 and older, regardless of health; and people ages 60 to 74 at increased risk for severe RSV, such as people with lung or heart disease or those who live in nursing homes.

Abnormal Pap test results don't always indicate cervical cancer. Most abnormal findings result from the presence of human papillomavirus, or HPV. Typically, the next step is a colposcopy, a test that enables the doctor to look closely at areas that appear abnormal.

A 2024 study suggests that having one or more tattoos may raise a person's risk of developing lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.