Lung cancer Archive

Death risk from breast cancer that's treated early appears to be falling, according to a large 2023 study. The risk of dying from the cancer within five years dropped from about 14% for women diagnosed in the 1990s to about 5% for women diagnosed between 2010 and 2015.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released updated draft guidelines in May 2023 proposing that women at average risk of breast cancer be screened every other year starting at age 40.

Pulmonary hypertension—a serious illness that affects the lungs and heart—has many possible causes, including a range of diseases and underlying conditions, as well genetic mutations and exposure to certain drugs. It is challenging to diagnose and treat, but a novel experimental drug that targets one form of the disease appears promising. The drug, called sotatercept, targets one of the dysregulated pathways that causes pulmonary arterial hypertension—one specific form of the disease.

Melanoma kills about 8,000 Americans each year. Most people are at low risk of melanoma and don't need annual skin cancer screenings. People should be screened each year if they have risk factors such as dozens of atypical moles, a family history of melanoma or atypical moles, an earlier skin cancer, certain genetic mutations or predisposition, immune-suppressing therapy after organ transplantation or for inflammatory bowel disease, a history of blistering sunburns, or substantial tanning bed use.

A 2023 study indicates that women 65 and older are diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer more often than younger women, and they have a worse prognosis.

Reports of severe lung illness experienced by hundreds of people who were using e-cigarettes raise questions again about the safety of vaping. Vaping can help some people stop smoking, but potential health risks likely outweigh any benefit.

Survivor's guilt includes strong, persistent feelings of sadness and remorse. Advances in cancer treatment have led to an unprecedented 18 million Americans who are cancer survivors, making survivor's guilt a possible psychological outcome for greater numbers. Survivor's guilt may be more common among people who have survived cancers with high death rates. Strategies to cope include taking time to grieve, seeking support from fellow survivors, and getting counseling to explore underlying contributors to feelings of guilt.

While shortness of breath can be caused by several ailments, the most common are a lung issue, a heart problem, anemia (low red blood cell count), or deconditioning. Even if the cause remains unclear, a doctor can create a treatment plan to improve symptoms.

Ovarian cancer, which claims about 13,000 lives each year, is hard to detect in early stages. Recent guidance from professional groups recommends removing fallopian tubes to help prevent ovarian cancer if women are undergoing gynecologic surgery and are finished with childbearing.

The FDA authorized a brand of smokeless tobacco to use language in its advertising claiming that using snuff reduces risk of lung cancer compared to smoking cigarettes. Technically this is true, but it's not the health advantage the product's maker would like consumers to think it is.