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What Is Cancer
What is COPD?COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and is a term that includes two lung diseases: Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema. The main cause for COPD is smoking and is responsible for 80-90 % of COPD. There is no cure for COPD and the effects are permanent. (1)Chronic Bronchitis- affects the linings of the airways in the lungs. The airways become constantly inflamed and thickened. The airways also become clogged because they are producing more mucus than usual. (2)Emphysema- causes the walls between the air sacs within the lungs to lose their ability to stretch and recoil. The air sacs become stiff and weaken and could easily break, creating permanent damage and holes in the tissues in the lower lung. These holes make it difficult to keep air moving in and out of the lungs. (3)
Cancer and AI-AN
American Indian and Alaska Native People and COPDThere is very limited data on COPD among AI/AN.One study from Saskatchewan, Canada found that for the American Indian population, adults experienced a twofold increase in the prevalence of COPD when compared to other groups. (5) Another study looked at the Alaska Native population and found that COPD increased for the population by 191% between 1979-1998. Additionally, COPD ranked fifth for both Alaska Native men and women in leading causes of death. (6) This is an area where more research is needed, especially due to the high smoking rates among AI/AN, one of the largest risk factors for COPD. (1)
Lung Cancer
Usually no signs or symptoms
Symptoms begin
Occasionally running out of breath
"Smoker's Cough" shows up
Breathlessness after moderate exercise
Weezing during exercise
Cough becomes obvious and worse
Quality of life decreases as the disease increases
Breathlessness with any exercise, and even at rest
Constant and obvious wheeze or cough
Lung damage from COPD becomes irreversible
Swelling of the ankles, feet, or legs, on both sides of the body
Signs of Lung Cancer
Health Effects of COPDThe World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 210 million people worldwide suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and that it caused over 3 million deaths globally in 2005. The American Lung Association states that in 2004, about 3.6 million people in the United States had emphysema and 9 million had chronic bronchitis. (4)According to the Centers for Disease Control, COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, claiming 122,283 Americans in 2003. (4)The WHO also predicts that by 2030 COPD will become the third leading cause of death. (2)
Risk Factors
Symptoms of COPDCough that produces mucusFatigueFrequent respiratory infectionsHeadachesWheezingShortness of breath that gets worse with mild activitySwelling of the ankles, feet, or legs that affect both sides of the body.
Treatment-Survival-Support
COPD Risk FactorsThere are many risk factors for COPD including: (2,3)Tobacco smoke:One study found that the death from COPD is at least 7 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers. When split into groups by the number of cigarettes smoked per day, the more your risk increases for COPD. People who smoke more than 25 cigarettes per day increase their chance of dying from COPD 10 times.Second hand tobacco smoke:Animal studies show that fetal lung development is negatively influenced by maternal smoking suggesting, that prenatal exposure to substances inhaled by the smoking mother may be a risk factor for COPD.Work exposure:Long term exposure to fumes, chemical substances, and dust in the workplace can lead to the development of COPD- especially if one smokes tobacco.The most important work exposure risk factors are: grain, isocyanides (a chemical used in resins and adhesives), cadmium, coal and other mineral dusts, heavy metals, adhesives, and welding fumes.Air pollution:Long term exposure to air pollution is associated with an increased risk of COPD.Economic status:Individuals with lower income have increased chances for COPD.Lower income households play a large role in COPD. A low to medium economic status is a risk factor for the development of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Nearly 90% of COPD deaths occur in low and middle income countries, where effective strategies for prevention and control are not always accessible.Personal Factors: (2,3,4)Gender2009 is the fifth consecutive year in which women have exceeded men in the number of deaths attributable to COPD.Childhood and Adulthood Respiratory ProblemsMany studies have shown an association between childhood respiratory problems and the presence of symptoms to a reduction in lung function in adulthood.Family History Reduced lung function has been associated with a family history of lung cancer and COPD, suggesting that when a person's lungs are impaired due to family history, they could suffer more negative effects of cigarette smoking and diseases linked to smoking.
References
1. ANBL Pamphlets. Traditional Tobacco Use. University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, 2007.2. The California Rural Indian Health Board (CRIHB). Community Tobacco Educator Training Guide. 2007; http://www.crihb.org/files/tobacco_101_traditional_module.pdf. Accessed June 9, 2009.3. Aboriginal Tobacco Strategy. About traditional tobacco. 2008; http://www.tobaccowise.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=44644&pageId=46570. Accessed June 9, 2009.4. National Cancer Institute. Cigarette smoking and cancer. 2004; http://cancertrials.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cancer. Accessed June 10, 2009.5. Nez Henderson P, C. Jacobsen, et al. Correlates of cigarette smoking among selected Southwest and Northern Plains Tribal Groups: The AI-SUPERPFP Study. American Journal of Public Health. 2005;95(5):867-872.6. Kegler MC, B. Kingsley, et al. The functional value of smoking and nonsmoking from the perspective of American Indian youth. Family and Community Health. 1999;22(2).
What Is Cancer
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