Public Health Lung Cancer
Public health lung cancer and recommendations from a public health point of view. Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean you will get cancer, and the opposite is true as well. Talk to your doctor if you think you may be at risk for lung cancer. Working or living in an environment where there is an opportunity to inhale radon, asbestos, uranium, arsenic, or other inhaled chemicals. Another risk factor for lung cancer is smoking. Whether you are an active or passive smoker, the results are the same. The risk of developing lung cancer is 25 times higher among smokers. Since the risk is similar for second-hand smokers, many countries banned smoking in public places.
We take preventive measures to decrease the risk of hosting cancer. The goal is to lower the number of new cases and also to decrease the number of deaths. All recommendations are based on scientifically proven information and are the results of many years of trials and observations. The guides aim to raise awareness among the population about the risk factors related to cancer and the protective measures we must take. Yet, we cannot avoid all risks related to cancer. Some risks can be avoided and are easy to follow, but others are inherited and cannot be bypassed. For instance, a healthy diet, physical activities, alcohol abuse, and smoking are the choices we make. Whereas, genes we inherit are factors we cannot choose or avoid. However, following the recommendations lower the risk of getting cancer but does not mean you will not be getting the disease.