Lung cancer poses deadliest threat - by far

From the Toronto Star:
In the time it takes to read the next few paragraphs, someone will die of lung cancer somewhere in the world.

The Global Lung Cancer Coalition says lung cancer consumes one human being every 30 seconds – more than breast and prostate cancer combined, with another 1.2 million new cases diagnosed every year.

If everything goes well, Milton resident Sherry Walker, 57, won't be among the casualties.

In June, surgeons made a crescent-shaped slice along the right side of her upper back, cracked open her ribs and removed the top lobe of one lung, where a 2.5-centimetre tumour festered. Tests later revealed a trace of cancerous cells in a single lymph node, putting her in stage two of the disease.

Walker's early diagnosis came to light by a stroke of good fortune. In March, family doctor Helen Pyle told her about an early lung cancer screening study for people at high risk – former and current smokers included – at Princess Margaret Hospital. As a half-pack-a-day smoker for most of her adult life, she had no trouble qualifying for the study. ...more