There are a number of websites that offer information, advise and help about lung cancer (as well as other lung conditions). Here are a couple you could check out.

Cancer.org

If you wish to know more about lung cancer (or about cancer in general), you could start off by visiting this site by the American Cancer Society.

You’ll find a ton of information about this health condition. Perhaps even more importantly, the site has stories about people who were diagnosed with life-threatening cancers, went through long periods of emotional turmoil and still decided to fight back – and won. Such stories are very inspiring for just about anyone.

There are also links to planners, calenders and other things you can personalize to suit your particular condition.

The site also has info about and links to some of the latest research about cancer.

LungCancer.About.com

About.com is an authoritative site with lots of information on an amazing array of topics. Lung cancer is one of them. They have sections on lung cancer symptoms, diagnosis, disease staging, prevention as well as end of life issues, among other things.

And they often post about new discoveries and advances in lung cancer based on current research. Overall, an excellent site to check out if you have any interest in lung cancer.

It is well known that lung cancer has a high fatality rate. And the reason is simple. Lung cancer usually does not get diagnosed till it is too late to treat it. Till the malignancy has spread to other vital body organs.

This type of cancer spreads fast. That’s why it kills.

So it is imperative that you learn to recognize common lung cancer symptoms. Being aware of these danger signs can alert you or your loved ones to possible trouble and you can then seek expert help without delay.

Some of those symptoms include a chronic cough that does not get better easily, coughing up blood, unexplained fatigue and changes in voice quality among others. None of these symptoms are conclusive evidence of lung cancer.

In fact, every one of those symptoms can also be caused by health conditions other than lung cancer. Only your doctor / medical professional can tell what’s behind it.

So if you suspect anything wrong – get help quickly.

Keeping active and fit is an essential strategy for coping with lung cancer. Your doctor will recommend the specifics of what types of exercises you can do or activities you can take part in.

That can vary quite a bit depending on the stage of your lung cancer and other factors. So be sure to take his or her advise.

In general, the benefits of exercise are well documented. Many cancer treatments can drain you of energy and vitality. In such situations, exercise can be even more important than usual.

Set some goals for yourself regarding exercise and physical activity. Perhaps you can only walk about in your bedroom or living room – if that is all you can do (or are allowed to do), keep at it consistently.

Every single day, make it a point to do your chosen physical activity. Not only will it help your body, it will also work wonders for your mind. The mood-elevating effects of exercise can be a great help for lung cancer patients.

Even if you are diagnosed with lung cancer (or any other type of cancer), there are a number of things you can do cope better. The earlier post described a few of them.

Here are some more ideas on how to deal with cancer.

It is important to stay involved at all stages of the treatment. Yes, it is true that you will likely feed tired and discouraged at various points along the way.

Most doctors these days recommend that the patient be actively involved in their treatment choices and implementation. They recommend this with good reason.

When you stay involved, you retain a degree of control over the situation, which is always a positive.

On a similar note, having a strong support system of friends, family members and support groups is a significant plus. Many people do not find it easy to share their problems with family. If so, outside support groups can be a great help.

You can also find cancer support groups online, which means you can interact with others without leaving your home.

News that you or someone close to you has lung cancer (or any other type of cancer) can hit you like the proverbial ton of bricks. It is easy to wallow in fear and other such emotions at this point.

However, it is vitally important that the patient and those around him or her keep up their spirits and be determined to beat the cancer. Time after time, doctors have found that the right mindset is a key factor in overcoming life-threatening health issues.

The first thing that can help with this is to be well-informed. Ask your doctor for all possible information about the cancer. Call up cancer charity helplines. Speak to trained counselors.

Do research online to find out more information about the disease and what you can do to improve your chances.

Having the right information helps you in multiple ways, as you will discover.

Just as important, maintain a determined and positive attitude. Say “I’ll beat this thing.” Tell others – including your health care professionals – that you will fight the cancer and win.

At the same time, do prepare for the worst. Death is a real possibility, so be sure to enjoy each day to the fullest. And when you do finally beat the cancer, you will have an inner strength that few can match. You will also be grateful to life in a way few others are.

In a follow up to an earlier post, here’s another book that takes a light-hearted look at cancer and cancer treatment. You or someone you know might enjoy this.

Not Now I’m Having A No Hair Day by Christine Clifford, Jack Lindstrom
ISBN: 0816643156

The author of this book had breast cancer. She went through treatment and had a physical and emotional roller-coaster ride all the way through.

She describes her experiences in 60 cartoons depicting various stuff she had to undergo. I’m guessing most folks will find this book funny, though some of the humor may be a matter of individual taste.

As with any serious illness, follow-up care is very important in cases of lung cancer. Cancer of any kind has a tendency to recur — so the patient needs to be carefully monitored for this possibility. Also, the patient may experience other health problems associated with cancer or arising from the treatment regimen like chemotherapy. The patient needs follow-up care to deal with them.

The patient himself, his family members and the healthcare professionals should watch out for any changes in the patient’s health and overall physical condition. This can help to treat problems as early as possible.

Follow up care can include regular physical checkups, lab tests of various kinds and perhaps chest x-rays. The patient should be made aware of the critical importance of these checkups and should attend them with regularity.

Very likely, the patient also needs psychological support. Cancer is a scary disease and having it can have a profound emotional impact on the patient.

Even after the treatment is over, the family members, healthcare professionals and perhaps others like cancer support groups should provide the necessary emotional support and assistance.

Cancer survivor groups in particular may be very helpful. The patient comes to understand that he or she is far from alone in his condition and that others have successfully combated this disease and come out stronger on the other side.

For more information, refer to stage 3 lung cancer and facts on lung cancer.

Are you the kind who likes to take a lighthearted look at the serious issues of life? If that’s the case, you might like this book:

57 Good Things About Chemotherapy (Paperback)
Authors – Alec Kalla, Andy Williamson
ISBN: 0970914903

The whole purpose of this book is to help cancer patients laugh at cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy. How is that possible? Well, you’ve got to read the book to find out.

Keep in mind that gifting this book to a lung cancer patient involves quite a bit of risk. Why? Because the book makes fun of their situation in many ways. Life-threatening diseases are highly sensitive issues for many people and they may not like to have any aspect of their situation made fun of.

But if you are a cancer patient yourself and would like to explore the lighter side of the disease, do check this out. You do need a bit of a morbid sense of humor to digest this one, though. But in the end, humor is a matter of personal taste, not social dictum. So it’s really up to you.

If you haven’t already, check out these useful articles on the causes of lung cancer and the early symptoms of lung cancer for some must-have information.

Here’s another book worth reading for cancer patients and their families:

Eating Well Through Cancer: Easy Recipes & Recommendations During & After Treatment Authors – Holly Clegg, Gerald, M.D. Miletello
ISBN: 0961088877

Patients on cancer-treatment drugs often find that their appetite vanishes into thin air and their taste buds seem to have a mind of their own. If that’s you, you may find the recipes in this book very useful. The recipes themselves are mostly quite easy to make and use everyday food items readily available in your kitchen.

The authors have specific recipe recommendations depending on the kind of treatment you are taking. They also take into account side effects you may experience and suggest recipes accordingly.

For those whose treatments are over, the authors have helpful ideas on healthy eating to build up the body’s strength and resistance power.

Overall, an excellent, practical read for all cancer patients including those affected by lung cancer.

The first one to check out is:

Lung Cancer: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment
by Walter J. Scott M.D.
ISBN 1886039437

Has a fair bit of information for the layman. The author covers areas like diagnosis of lung cancer (with an emphasis on early detection), cancer staging and its uses, treatments for lung cancer including radiation, surgery, chemotherapy, etc.

He also digs into clinical trials for lung cancer drugs and why they are important. There is a section on alternative treatments that some will find useful. The emotional side of lung cancer is a must read section. By the way, here is an article with some useful answers to the question how do people cope with cancer.

Strangely enough, lung cancer receives less funding than some other cancers, despite being the number one killer cancer in America and other nations. The author speaks out about this situation as well.

Here’s another book to check out.

Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul: 101 Healing Stories About Those Who Have Survived Cancer (Paperback) by Jack Canfield et al
ISBN: 1558744029

The Chicken Soup series are worldwide bestsellers. Perhaps you have read a few of those books. They contain heartwarming stories, words of wisdom and wit from people right around the world who have lived through various life situations with varying degrees of success.

In this book, 101 cancer survivors talk about their experiences. Their words will not fail to light the lamp of hope, determination, positive attitude and much more that are essential to successfully fighting this disease. This book will help you face your situation with greater calmness and a sense of peace. Well worth a read. It’ll be available at a bookstore near you.

Did you know that lung caner kills more women every year than breast cancer? After heart disease, lung cancer is the leading cause of death in both men and women. What makes it worse is that women, it seems, have an increased susceptibility to lung cancer as compared to men.

As usual, it is smoking that is the single biggest risk factor when it comes to women developing lung cancer. Even exposure to passive cigarette smoke — where the women does not smoke herself, but is exposed to second-hand smoke from other smokers in the vicinity — increases the risk substantially. In fact, passive smoking may be even riskier because the smoke enters the body without any filtering.

See this article to know how many people have cancer in the United States.

It is estimated that about 20 percent of women in Western societies still smoke. This is in spite of sustained media campaigns that highlight the dangers of smoking, in practically all countries.

The Journal of Clinical Oncology notes that women who smoke are at greater risk of developing lung cancer as compared to men who smoke. Even women who have never lit up a smoke in their entire lives are at greater risk of going down with lung cancer than men in comparable situations.

This difference is on account of metabolic, hormonal and other differences between men and women.

Nor is it only smoking that increases risks of cancer. Does make-up cause cancer? Apparently it does, see that article for more information.

If a woman quits smoking, does her risk of developing lung cancer come down to that of women who never smoked? Unfortunately, no. Once you have smoked for at least some length of time, you will always have a higher risk of developing lung cancer. However, the overall risk does come down once you quit smoking. So it does make plenty of sense to get rid of smoking forever.