Lung cancer is among the deadliest cancers that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells that line the air passages. It is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. And despite that, there are many uninformed opinions and myths about this life-threatening condition.

According to experts, lung cancer symptoms occur in advanced stages, and only 15 per cent of the cases are diagnosed at an early stage. And so, that is why it is important to understand the facts about this cancer.

Myth

Lung cancer is a smoker’s disease

According to experts, the stigma is that lung cancer only occurs in smokers, but 10-20 per cent of lung cancers are found in non-smokers and those who never used tobacco. And this number has been rising in recent years, especially among women.

Doctors say even exposure to secondhand smoke causes a high risk for developing lungs as it often contains more toxins than a smoker experiences due to filters on the cigarettes that are blocked for the actual smokers/

No point quitting if I smoke

Doctors say it is never too late to quit smoking and using tobacco. The earlier you quit, you can easily reduce your chances of getting cancer or any other disease. According to studies, even ten years after you quit, you can substantially reduce your risk for lung cancer by about half.

All lung cancers are the same

Lung cancer is of two main types – non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Along with these, other tumours also occur in the lungs. Doctors say NSCLC is the most common type, accounting for more than 80-85 per cent of cases, and usually grows at a slower rate than SCLC.

SCLC - typically caused by tobacco smoking, and is the most aggressive form of lung cancer.

Lung cancer occurs mostly in men

Even though lung cancer affects more men than women, experts say a much larger percentage of women who develop lung cancer have never smoked in their lives. According to Cleveland Clinic, up to 20 per cent of women get diagnosed with this life-threatening disease.

Doctors say genetic and hormonal differences between men and women play a role in the development of lung cancer.

You can only get lung cancer when you are older

Mostly, the average age of diagnosis for lung cancer is 70 years, including the non-smokers. However, according to experts, adenocarcinoma - a type of non-small cell lung cancer, can often occur in nonsmokers, women, and at a much younger age.