More and more often, I come across cases of nonsmokers who develop lung cancer. My attention is always drawn to news of this nature because my husband passed away at the age of 51 from brain and lung cancer. He never smoked a day in his life.

The complacency non-smokers have shared over the years is no longer a viable option. Smokers and non-smokers alike are vulnerable to a disease which is largely incurable. Among patients with lung cancer, only about 14% live five years after their diagnosis.

Cancer is perhaps the most frightening of all diseases we face. And the thing is, it’s very often entirely preventable. If we simply made some different decisions, earlier, many cancers would never happen.

That sounds like an audacious statement. Cancer after all, comes “out of the blue” — we report that it happened “suddenly,” that it came “without warning.” It is the proverbial bolt of lightning that changes our lives all in one strike. How could we prevent lightning?

Women infected with HIV or at risk of becoming infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, appear more likely to develop lung cancer than women in the general population, possibly because they are much more likely to smoke cigarettes, study findings hint.

People with HIV have a much higher risk for many cancers. Still, it is unclear whether HIV infection plays a role in the development of lung cancer, Dr. Alexandra M. Levine, at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, and colleagues note in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

To investigate, they compared lung cancer cases in 2,651 HIV-infected and 898 at-risk but uninfected women, who were 35 years old on average, with lung cancer cases estimated to occur among similarly aged women in the general population.

Lung cancer patients who are optimistic were found to live longer than pessimists in a new study. The findings revealed that patients tested about 18 years before receiving a diagnosis of lung cancer lived six months longer compared to pessimistic patients.

Memphis, Tn – Doctors are zeroing in on the link between being overweight and obese, and getting cancer. They say the connection is strong, and women don’t realize it.

It’s become a routine for Paula Brill. Every 15 days, comforted and kept warm by a blanket, she’s armed with her iPod. It’s a buffer, and a brief break from the reality of her world. Her life requires her body to receive a cocktail of medication, just to stay alive.

“You have to think positive, you have to believe you can win,” says Brill. It’s an attitude she adopted after her flashed before her eyes. “This doctor just looked at me and said well basically you’ve got a couple of years to live, and I just went into absolute shock.”

Yes. Your job — your occupation — could cause lung cancer.

A new study estimates that 5% of lung cancers in men are related to on-the-job exposure to chemicals and other materials (previous studies have placed the estimate at anywhere between 13 and 29%). Considering lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for men in the U.S. and worldwide, this is not a small number.

Leafy green vegetables, folate, and some multivitamins could serve as protective factors against lung cancer in current and former smokers, according to a study that is a first step in understanding a complex association. The study was supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study appeared online Jan. 12, 2010, in Cancer Research.

According to a new study, published online in the January 13 edition of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the risk of lung cancer is notably lower in men who do not smoke, and eat soy every day.

As per the researchers, led by Dr. Taichi Shimazu, of Tokyo’s National Cancer Center, soy is rich in isoflavones that act like hormone estrogen, and boasts anti-cancer qualities in hormone-linked cancers – breast cancer and prostate cancer.

The inhalation of smoke, especially from cigarettes, is a leading cause of lung cancer. But new research on lung cells in a lab shows a glass or two of red wine may help prevent the disease.

In 2009, the American Cancer Society recorded 219,440 new cases of lung cancer and 159,390 deaths from the disease, making it the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. A team of researchers from the University of California at Merced has focused their attention on resveratrol, to see if its properties as an antioxidant may prevent lung cancer development.

Consider adding at least one cup of green tea in your daily diet. A latest study of more than 500 individuals indicates that the ancient beverage has anti-cancer powers which may help in reducing the risk of lung cancer, especially in smokers.

“The antioxidants may inhibit tumor growth,” I-Hsin Lin, a master’s degree student at Chung Shan Medical University in Taiwan, was quoted by WebMD as saying.