Lung cancer Archive

If you have a hacking cough and breathlessness, don't chalk it up to aging.

Maybe you never smoked, or you stopped decades ago. But you may still be at risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). That's the umbrella term for a number of lung diseases that sometimes lead to disability and even death. "While about 80% of COPD cases are related to having smoked, 20% are not," says Dr. Bartolome Celli, a pulmonologist with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Diseases and symptoms

COPD includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, severe asthma, or a combination of these conditions. They cause inflammation, destruction, or abnormal repair of airways and lung tissue, which reduces airflow and ultimately makes it harder to take in enough oxygen to supply the body.

Ask the doctor

Q. I smoked for more than 20 years, but gave it up about 15 years ago. Am I still at risk for lung cancer or other health problems?

A. Not smoking is the best health move any man can make. The good news is that the benefits of quitting smoking begin almost immediately after your final cigarette, although the risk of smoking-related cancers may take years to decline.

People who develop asthma as adults may have a higher risk of developing heart disease than those without asthma. Adult-onset asthma is often triggered by air pollution and tends to be harder to control than asthma that starts during childhood.