Gender and Lung Cancer- An Analysis

Introduction

Cancer is an abnormal growth of cells, causing harm to the individual. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the world. It is a major public health concern. It has shown gender-specificness towards men. Individuals who smoke have the highest risk, being more with the length and number of cigarettes used.

What Is Lung Cancer?

Uncontrolled cell division in the lungs is lung cancer. It is a complex condition with multiple risk factors. With time, this leads to improper functioning of the lung tissue. It can start in the airways or the lungs. More often, it is seen in smokers and tobacco users. However, even non-smokers have shown cases, thereby pointing to other causes like genetics, mutations, and exposure to carcinogens.

What Causes Lung Cancer?

Uncontrolled cell division leads to cancer. Normally, cells have an on-and-off switch, which does not allow them to divide more than needed. Mutations can damage this off switch. Therefore, cancer cells are normal body cells that have mutated and removed the off switch. Uncontrolled cell multiplication thereby leads to normal cell disarmament. Cancer can also spread directly through blood or lymph nodes, causing further damage.

What Are the Symptoms?

Symptoms include cough with blood that does not go away, wheezing, shortness of breath, stabbing chest pain, phlegm (dark green, yellow-colored), unexplained tiredness, and weight loss. Generally, it develops slowly, and most individuals do not have symptoms until the disease progresses.

What Are the Treatments Used for Lung Cancer?

Treatment includes

1. Chemotherapy: Special medications are utilized to shrink the cancer cells. Either orally taken or injected into veins.

2. Radiotherapy: High-energy rays are utilized to target the cancer cells.

3. Surgery: Depending on the stage, size, and location, doctors plan to remove the cancer cells along with adjacent tissues and lymph nodes. This is easy in earlier stages.

4. Palliative Care: Taking care of the patient and helping ease the symptoms. No definite cure is provided here. This is for advanced stages where other treatment modes are impossible.

Risk factors include tobacco, smoking, air pollutants, asbestos, uranium exhaust, and familial history.

Is There Any Gender Difference Seen in Lung Cancer?

Statistics show lung cancer is seen more in men. Also, a higher death rate is seen. This difference is mainly attributed to smoking. As with any cancer, this is a complex disease, and an amalgam of various environmental and biological risk factors could be attributed to this.

Environmental Factors

• Smoking: Cigarette smoking is the most common risk factor. Over the years, It has been known that men smoke more than women, hence the greater lung cancer risk. However, this smoking trend is changing over the years as more women take up smoking. Along with it is passive smoking (secondhand smoking exposure), which has similar effects to smoking. A study has shown women whose spouses smoke have more risk of lung cancer.

• Vehicle Exhaust: Exhaust from vehicle engines can cause cancer. Diesel and petrol engines emit hazardous materials. Amongst them, diesel engines give out greater levels of cancer-causing emissions. Men are more exposed as their current workforce participation is more.

• Occupational Exposure to Risk Factors: Asbestos is found in soil and rocks, commonly used as insulating materials, and in automobile manufacturing. People are exposed to asbestos by inhaling or swallowing it. Individuals working in factories and their family members are more likely to be exposed. Inhalation of all forms of asbestos fibers has shown a higher risk of lung cancer. Usually, it is seen ten years after first exposure. This risk is further increased if there is smoking, too. Radon is another very carcinogenic mineral. When radon gas is inhaled, radioactive particles get trapped in the lungs. Over time, these lead to lung cancer. Men are commonly affected as male labor is more than women's in the industrial sector.

Biological Factors:

• Infections: Cancer weakens the immune system, leading to various infections. Pneumonia is common. A weaker defense system decreases their infection-fighting ability. It is more commonly seen in men compared to women. Women are more prone to have Human Papillomavirus (HPV) lung cancer than men.

• Hormonal Influence: Hormones, especially sex hormones, play an important role in the development of cancer. They produce effects like cell response to therapy, such as cell death. They also potentiate the cancer cells to spread to other parts. They affect the immune system by modulating the cytokines from the innate defense system. Increased female hormones like estrogen and progesterone have protective effects and modulate cell division, thereby regulating cancer. Hormones Exogenous Estradiol (E2) have shown the ability to regulate lung cancer. Estrogen content is higher in females and can demonstrate slight protective abilities depending on age and smoking status.

• Stress: It is generally perceived that men take more stress, affecting their overall health. Cancer is a stressful disease, and individuals diagnosed with cancer have weak mental health. Stress triggers further breathlessness, panic attacks, anxiety, and anger issues. Stress causes individuals to forget their medicines and treatment schedules. When stressed, women discuss and take support, whereas men do not. Men do not acknowledge they are stressed or need support to deal with a disease. Hence, more incidence of the disease is seen in men than women.

• Genetic Influence: Genetics can influence the potential to develop cancer. Certain genetic mutations increase cancer likelihood. There is a difference in pathways of key DNA repair damage in men compared to women. It is more amplified in women and could be due to the higher content of estrogen hormone.

• Immune Responses: Females are more likely to undergo treatment at earlier stages, as they are generally considered more health conscious. They also show marked improvement after treatment, as they show a better response to medicines.

Conclusion

The increased risk of lung cancer seen in the male gender is a result of complex interactions between various risk factors such as stress, smoking, and environmental hazardous materials. Understanding the role of these and devising targeted preventive methodologies to reduce the risk factors is necessary to lower the lung cancer burden. Early detection is promoted, and individuals involved with risk factors are to be checked periodically. Measures should be taken to stop smoking as they, in general, are harmful in all aspects. Promoting awareness and facilitating integrative treatment approaches can enhance public health outcomes and quality of life.