It is nearly impossible to find someone who doesn’t have a family member or close friend affected by lung cancer. Worldwide, lung cancer is the most common cancer in terms of both incidence and mortality. The population group most likely to develop lung cancer is people over 50 who have a history of smoking. In contrast to the mortality rate in men, which began declining more than 20 years ago, women’s lung cancer mortality rates have been rising over the last decades, and are just recently beginning to stabilize. In the USA, the lifetime risk of developing lung cancer is 8% in men and 6% in women. It is very common for patients with a cancer diagnosis to have many questions about nutrition and diet. In fact, this is one of the main ways that you (or your loved one) can aid yourself in the battle with cancer. The cancer can inhibit your body’s ability to heal, decrease your energy, and decrease your immune system. By optimizing diet and nutrition, research has shown that outcomes of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can be improved. This can in turn lead to improved cure rates, better cancer treatment outcomes, and greater ability for the body to heal and rebound from the effects of cancer therapy. The goal of this text is to empower patients during their fight with cancer. By studying these practical approaches to health and nutrition, you can aid your cancer treatment team in your therapies. This is not meant to be a substitute for standard modern cancer treatments, but the goal is to provide you with further tools to fight cancer and improve your ability to heal from the cancer and the cancer treatments. Of course, this tool should be used in the context of your other treatments and we recommend that each patient discuss their individual health needs and objectives with their care providers.
