If you said lung cancer, you were correct. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. One hundred sixty thousand Americans died of lung cancer in 1999. More certainly died in 2000, but the numbers haven't been totaled yet.
More people die from lung cancer than from breast cancer, prostate and colorectal cancers combined.
Clearly asbestos and radon exposures are known causes, and chromium and nickel exposure are suspected causes. Lung cancer is a pernicious disease which begins in the lung but can spread to other parts of the body before any symptoms related to the lung tumor present. Half or more of the lung cancers present with disease that has spread beyond the confines of a possible surgical resection. Coughing, wheezing, chest pain and repeated episodes of pneumonia may be signs of lung cancer but unfortunately they are also signs of many other diseases. Many symptoms of lung cancer are not even related to the lung such as weight loss, loss of appetite or general fatigue.