Importance of Lung Cancer Screening
Symptoms of lung cancer include constant chest pain; shortness of breath; recurring lung infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis; bloody or rust-colored sputum; swelling of the neck and face; pain and weakness in the shoulder, arm, or hand; and a fever for unknown reasons.
Adults ages 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke, or have quit within the past 15 years, are the most likely to develop lung cancer. Additionally, some people may inherit DNA mutations from their parents that reduces the ability to break down or remove certain types of cancer-causing chemicals in the body, such as those found in tobacco smoke, putting them at higher risk for lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States killing more people every year than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.