Q: I am 56, and I started smoking when I was 16 years old. I knew it was dumb for most of that time, although at the start, we just didn’t know.
Anyway, I was recently diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer. My doctor says it is very early and that I should do well, although he can not make me any promises. I just want to hear from someone else as I am worried he is sugar coating what could happen.
A; To comment on your first thought, yes we have known that smoking is bad for you for many years. Not only is there a direct link to lung cancer, it also causes chronic lung conditions such as COPD, as well as heart disease.  Our intention is not to make you feel bad about this difficult habit, just to point out all of the bad effects that it has. As far as your stage 1 cancer, the prognosis is usually good as your doctor said. There are different types of lung cancer, but usually it can be treated and cured in many cases at that stage. Usually when it is contained in 1 part of the lung, with no spread anywhere else (definition of stage 1), the treatment is surgical removal of that part of the lung, called a lobectomy. Some people will need additional chemotherapy or radiation, depending on what they find at surgery.
Good luck to you.
To learn more about lung cancer treatment, watch this video on VideoMD.com.
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