Recognize Lung Cancer Awareness Month in the month of November. During this awareness month, Personalized Cause offers pearl awareness ribbon pins (in both personalized and non-personalized versions), KNOW MORE awareness wristbands, and pearl fabric ribbons in bulk. We also remember those lost to a lung cancer diagnosis with our pearl pins.

We also offer our pearl and white awareness ribbon pin, in both a non-personalized and personalized version. This pins recognize lung cancer that has occurred for reasons other than smoking. Our personalized pins can be engraved with a name, date, or message that brings awareness to lung cancers that are not a result of smoking. These include passive smoking and radon exposure. We hope, by raising awareness with these pearl and white color pins, we offer support and funding for additional forms of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the United States and worldwide. Lung cancer, in fact, is responsible for more deaths in the United States than the next three most common causes of cancer deaths combined. These include colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer.

Bringing Awareness to Lung Cancer Statistics

In fact, 235,760 patients will be diagnosed with lung and bronchus cancer. 131,880 patients will die of the disease in the United States in 2021. This statistic is according to estimates by the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program.

The most common cause of lung cancer is smoking. Other risk factors for lung cancer include being exposed to secondhand smoke. In addition, factors include having a family history of lung cancer and being treated with radiation therapy to the breast or chest. Further causes include exposure to asbestos, chromium, nickel, arsenic, soot, or tar in the workplace. Lastly is exposure to radon. When smoking is combined with other risk factors, such as these, the risk of lung cancer increases.

Smoking and Lung Cancer – Pearl Pin for Lung Cancer Awareness

Nearly nine out of ten lung cancers are caused by smoking cigarettes. Because of this, lung cancer kills more men and women than any other type of cancer. One important way to prevent lung cancer is to not start smoking. If you do smoke, try to quit. For help quitting, visit smokefree.gov, call 1-(800) QUIT-NOW (784-8669) or text “QUIT” to 47848. Educate yourself about different tools to help you quit smoking, and how to become tobacco-free.

Types of Lung Cancer

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)
There are two different types of small cell lung cancer: small cell carcinoma and mixed small cell/large cell cancer or combined small cell lung cancer. The types of small cell lung cancer are named for the kinds of cells found in the cancer. In addition, how the cells look when viewed under a microscope. Small cell lung cancer is almost always associated with cigarette smoking. Small cell lung cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Non-small cell lung cancer is more common. It makes up about 80 percent of lung cancer cases. This type of cancer usually grows and spreads to other parts of the body more slowly than small cell lung cancer. There are three different types of non-small cell lung cancer. These include:

• Adenocarcinoma:

A form of non-small cell lung cancer often found in an outer area of the lung. It develops in the cells of epithelial tissues, which line the cavities and surfaces of the body and form glands.

• Squamous cell carcinoma:

A form of non-small cell lung cancer usually found in the center of the lung next to an air tube (bronchus).

• Large cell carcinoma:

A form of non-small cell lung cancer that can occur in any part of the lung and tends to grow and spread faster than adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma.

The above subtypes are the most common. When looked at under a microscope, a tumor might reveal even more specific information about the subtype.

Symptoms of Lung Cancer

Coughing and chest pain may be symptoms of lung cancer, however, different people have different symptoms. Some people have symptoms related to their lungs. If lung cancer has metastasized (spread to other body parts), the symptoms may be specific to that part of the body. Some people just have symptoms of generally not feeling well.

Most people who have lung cancer don’t develop symptoms until the cancer has advanced. These lung cancer symptoms may include:

• Coughing that gets worse or doesn’t go away
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Coughing up blood
• Feeling very tired all the time
• Weight loss with no known cause

Other indications that may occur include repeated pneumonia and swollen or enlarged lymph nodes inside the chest area between the lungs. These symptoms can occur with other illnesses, so it is important to discuss your symptoms with your doctor. We do not offer medical advice on this site.

Secondhand Smoke (Passive Smoking) – Our Pearl and White Awareness Pin for Non-Smokers

Secondhand smoke, sometimes called passive smoking, is smoke inhaled from other people’s cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. This smoke can cause lung cancer in those who have never smoked. Those exposed to secondhand smoke in their environment, have a twenty to thirty percent increased risk of developing lung cancer.

Children and Secondhand Smoke (Passive Smoking)

Secondhand smoke is dangerous, especially for children. It is a lethal cocktail of more than 4,000 toxins, irritants, and cancer-causing substances. The most effective way to protect children and other loved-ones from secondhand or passive smoking is to quit smoking. If this is not possible, then the next most important step to take is to make sure that those who smoke in the vicinity of children have a smoke-free home or car.

Smoke from a cigarette, pipe, or cigar doesn’t all go into your lungs. Rather, it goes into the air around you where anyone nearby can breathe it. Secondhand, or passive smoke, is the smoke that you exhale plus the “side-stream” smoke from the lit end of a cigarette that is present in the air.  Secondhand smoke can damage the health of others, too. People who breathe in secondhand smoke regularly are more likely to get the same diseases as smokers. This includes lung cancer and heart disease.

Secondhand smoke is particularly dangerous to pregnant women when exposed to passive smoke. Their babies are more prone to premature birth, low birth weight, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS or Cot Death). Further, children who live in a smoky house are at a higher risk of breathing problems. Problems include asthma and allergies. Because they have less well-developed airways, lungs, and immune systems, they can also suffer from chest infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Other illnesses from passive smoke include meningitis, coughs, and ear infections.

How Can I Protect Myself Against Secondhand (Passive) Smoke?

The best and only way to protect others from secondhand smoke is to keep the environment around them smoke-free. The only way to do this is to stop smoking entirely. If you or someone you love is not ready to quit, make every effort to keep cigarette smoke away from others. In addition, never smoke inside or in the car. Especially, children or pregnant women.

Most secondhand smoke is invisible. No matter how careful smokers are, those around them still breathe in the harmful poisons. For that reason, strategies like opening windows and doors or smoking in another room in the house do not protect others in close proximity. Smoke from an extinguished cigarette can linger for up to three hours. This is true even if a window is open. In addition, smoke spreads to other parts of the house when someone smokes in another room.

Radon and Lung Cancer Awareness

Radon is a gas that you cannot smell, taste, or see. It is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked. Testing your home is the only way to find out if you have radon leaking in your environment. There are test kits for testing radon levels.

The Color Pearl, or Pearl and White, Bring Awareness to Others

Because lung cancer affects so many, those who smoke and those who do not, it is important to raise awareness about the effects of smoking, passive smoking, and radon. Personalized Cause raises awareness with its non-personalized and personalized awareness ribbon pins (pins can be engraved with a name, date, or message), KNOW MORE wristbands, and fabric awareness ribbon loops with safety pins. Personalized Cause offers these items to raise awareness and funding for those who struggle with lung cancer. Our hope is that by raising awareness, others will learn about the causes of this prevalent disease.