Can't stop worrying about lung cancer

[Anonymous]

I was a 5 week preemie in the mid-60s. I weighed 3.75 pounds. My parents both smoked heavily for most of my years through high school 9then it changed to just my dad; mom quit). When I was a kid, I was in and out of hospitals all the time with asthma attacks pneumonia, severe allergic reactions, etc. As I age, I find my asthma is much better. My kids, thank heavens, do not seem to have the allergies I do. My allergies, however, are getting worse. I have developed broad food allergies on top of the broad inhalant allergies I have always had. The kids seems to have no food allergies.

I can't help but worry I am going to get lung cancer from all that smoking my parents did when I was a kid, or that my immune system is going to keep degenrating to where I have to live in a bubble and eat some kind of made up gu (like the runners use for marathons) as my sole nutrition source.

Are these fears realistic? I'm not sure what to do about them, but I am starting to despair as things get worse and worse.

My eldest, btw, was a 35 weeker as well. I took every prenatal vitamin, do not smoke of course, and ate as much steak and spinach as I could possible down. She weighed over 6 pounds. Phew. I just hope her immune system really is as much better as it seems.

[Anonymous]

I don't think your fears are realistic, but I think they are very understandable, being in a similar situation myself, and having watched my father die of lung cancer (he smoked over 50 years).

There's a new urine test that can apparently determine if you are at risk of developing lung cancer. It's for smokers, but perhaps it might apply to all. I don't know. And I don't know if it's available to the general public yet. But it might be worth inquiring about to put your mind at ease. In my own family, it might explain why two people smoked well into their 90s and died of other causes, yet my father died at 66 of it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103217665

[Anonymous]

OP - I'm a health care professional, though not a doctor, but the research really shows your lifestyle is much more important to your health than other factors, such as genetics.

Of course there are exceptions such as a genetic diseases, and of course there are genetic predispositions to certain cancers, and yes, what our moms did when were in utero does influence us.

But, you can't control that. What you can control is your lifestyle. If you don't smoke at all, don't drink except in moderation, are at a healthy weight, get physical activity, eat a healthy diet - fresh, whole, real foods most of the time, get a decent amount of rest and try to cope with stress, plus get the recommended screenings for your age and gender you are way, way healthier than the average American, who is not doing most (if any) of these things.

Control what you can control. Talk to your dr. to see if you should be looking out for particular warning signs, etc. But otherwise, you can really do a lot to maintain your health with the choices you make now.

[Anonymous]

Your fears are not realistic. As a non-smoker yourself you are pretty unlikely to get lung cancer.

Certainly you will die of something though. As pp said, you can do what you can at the margins to postpone the day. More important, you can choose whether you spend the time you do have worrying about sickness and death or you can enjoy yourself and do something productive.

[Anonymous]

OP, I don't know if your fears are realistic but I share them somewhat (though I think not to the same degree). My mother and her boyfriends chain smoked around me for my entire childhood. My mom also smoked while while pregnant with me, smoked while holding me (there are so many pictures), and hotboxed me in the car during every family vacation we ever had. I remember, as a little kid, begging her to crack the car window because I couldn't breathe and her refusing to do it. Even though it was the 70's, I can't fathom that behavior, even then. My hair, clothes, and every material object I owned constantly stunk of cigarettes as a child and teenager. She has chronic obstructuve pulmonary disease now (basically a combination of emphasema and other precancerous problems) and several other smoking related diseases and still smokes now that she's in her 60's. She will never get to hang out with my kids alone because she can't be trusted not smoke around them.

I can't believe how irresponsible my mom was when I was a child (and still is now that I'm an adult). All you hear is how bad even second-hand smoke is, especially for children, so why wouldn't we be scared? If it's not a health concern for OP and me, why do we take such pains to keep our kids away from smoke now?

That said, OP, I think as others have said, our own choices and lifestyles will have a bigger impact, ultimately, on our health. If you are concerned deeply enough about this that it is causing stress, you should see a doctor who can help assess your risk and give you tips. Also, you never know how much they really help, but try to ingest a lot of anti-oxidants.

[Anonymous]

OP, I understand what you are concerned about. I have severe asthma, horrible allergies. I also grew up with smokers. My grandmother had lung cancer thankfully the tumor was removed. In the last 5 weeks, I watched my grandfather pass from it.

However, I am trying to not obsess over it. I am scared I could possibly get lung cancer? Yes, but I am taking it one step at a time.

I think you should speak to your general MD. Take it from there, one step at a time.

[Anonymous]

The single most important thing any person can do to improve their health is to quit smoking. So if you don't smoke, you've already eliminated the biggest controllable factor that can negatively affect your health.

That said, I am paranoid our entire society is going to die or become incapacitated by all the air freshener we breath daily, willingly or not. I hate it so I am super aware of it, and it is everywhere. It is poisonous. It should be illegal. I hope you don't use it, OP.

[Anonymous]

On second hand smoke, certainly children exposed to smoke are much more likely to suffer from respiratory problems, but it is not clear that your lung cancer risk is significantly higher. Of course, there is any excuse for exposing others, and particularly where children are involved.
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abridged/326/7398/1057

As for death by air freshener, I guess at least we will go out smelling mountain glades...

[Anonymous]

A friend just died of lung cancer - he was just shy of 40. He smoked a pack a day - probably since college.
I think you really need a serious exposure before worrying about lung cancer.

[Anonymous]

i worry about this too, having been raised in a family of heavy smokers. also, dana reeve died of lung cancer and she was not a smoker. unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done about it (what's done is done in terms of your exposure to smoke). but you can remain vigilant about your own health, although i know it's tempting to run to the doc every time you get a cough.

honestly, the only think i do is to pay close attention to my body so that i will be aware if something changes. after that, it's mostly luck. (with lung cancer, specifically).