Lung cancer is one of the most common and poor prognosis malignancies. It is caused, inter alia, by exposure to toxic substances, including tobacco smoke, polluted air, as well as secondhand smoke.
Smoking tobacco, i.e. not only cigarettes, but also pipes, cigars or the so-called water pipe (shisha) is the strongest risk factor for lung cancer. Less dangerous, but also dangerous, is breathing cigarette smoke, i.e. passive smoking, to which children are very often exposed. The risk of developing lung cancer increases with the duration of the addiction and the amount of cigarettes (tobacco) smoked.
Early lung cancer does not usually cause any discomfort. If symptoms are present, they are often underestimated or attributed to other medical conditions experienced by smokers, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The persistence of cough or a change in its nature, coughing up bloody mucus, recurrent pneumonia in the same location require verification by means of a chest X-ray, possibly also further, extended diagnostics.
Advanced lung cancer can present with shortness of breath, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing or chest pain. The first symptoms may also be caused by the so-called paranaoplastic syndromes or the presence of metastases, most often in the bones, liver and brain.