Lung cancer

Cancer of the lungs
Cancer care
cancer diagnosis

People who smoke are at a greater risk of getting lung cancer, though lung cancer can also occur in people who have never smoked.

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How common is lung cancer?

Below is a statistic on lung cancer

1 in 241
1 in 241
1 in 241
South Africans have a lifetime risk of developing lung cancer.
2 in 3
2 in 3
2 in 3
patients are diagnosed with late stage when the disease has spread to other parts of the body.
 
 
 

Other types of cancer screenings

Below you can find information on other types of cancer screenings that you might be interested in.

Breast cancer

The cancer that affects women in South Africa the most

Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts and can occur in...

Cervical cancer

A disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the cervix

Cervical cancer is nearly always caused by infection with human papillomavirus...

Colorectal cancer

A disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the colon

Signs of colon cancer include blood in the stool or a change in bowel habits...

Prostate cancer

One of the most common types of cancer in men

Prostate cancer occurs in the prostate, a small walnut-shaped gland in men that...

Skin cancer

A disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the skin

Skin cancer can occur anywhere on the body, but it is most common in skin that..

Lung cancer

Cancer that begins in the lungs

People who smoke are at a greater risk of getting lung cancer, though lung cancer can also occur in people who...

 
 
 

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the lung.

The following screening tests have been studied to see if they decrease the risk of dying from lung cancer:

Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT)

A procedure that uses low-dose radiation to make a series of very detailed pictures of areas inside the body using an x-ray machine that scans the body in a spiral path. This procedure is also called spiral scan or helical scan.

Chest x-ray

An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.

Sputum cytology

Sputum cytology is a procedure in which a sample of sputum (mucus that is coughed up from the lungs) is viewed under a microscope to check for cancer cells.

People who smoke are at a greater risk of getting lung cancer

Find care for lung cancer?

Find healthcare providers and facilities that specialise in treating lung cancer.

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