The Lung Cancer Foundation of America has reminded the public that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer and takes a life in this country every 3.3 minutes.

Lung cancer has been the primary cause of death among women since 1987, killing almost twice as many women as breast cancer, says News-Review. Among the causes of lung cancer is smoking, the leading cause of preventable death, says News-Review. Reportedly, more than 438,000 people die from smoking each year. However, people who have never smoked a day in their life also get lung cancer.

Exposure to asbestos may also be linked to lung cancer.  The mineral is present in some construction materials, so asbestos exposure may plague those who work in construction, renovation, or other manual labor fields. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that over 4,800 lung cancer deaths a year are identified as asbestos lung cancer.

News-Review informs readers that early screenings for lung cancer can be key to help a person with lung cancer survive the disease. These screenings can help identify lung cancer even before symptoms present. Catching cancer early is critical to increasing the likelihood of surviving the disease.

The Lung Cancer Awareness Month website reports that if a patient’s lung cancer is caught at an earlier stage, a person’s five-year survival rate can increase. Reportedly, catching lung cancer at stage 1 versus stage 4 can increase a person’s five-year survival rate from 4 percent to 55 percent.

On the Lung Cancer Awareness Month website, the American Lung Association and Lung Force advise that some patients may be good candidates for lung cancer screening if they are at high risk for lung cancer. High risk patients may include those between the ages of 55 and 80, current smokers or those who have quit in the last 15 years, or those with a “30 pack-year history” — patients who have smoked one pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer. CNN Health notes that screening for malignant mesothelioma is typically not part of a routine physical. However, some people who are predisposed to developing the condition may need to get screened. Even with early screening and detection, malignant mesothelioma can be quite deadly.

Lung cancer may be difficult to identify because its symptoms may mimic those of other conditions. Lung cancer symptom may include:

• Persistent cough
• Coughing blood
• Rust-colored saliva
• Pneumonia
• Painful swallowing
• Chest pain that worsens with deep breathing, laughing, or coughing
• Persistent fatigue
• Persistent hoarseness
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing when breathing
• Persistent pain in ribs, shoulders, or back
• Finger clubbing

However, many people do not have symptoms, says Health Central, which is part of the reason why it can be hard to identify lung cancer. According to Health Central, about one-fourth of people with lung cancer were only diagnosed by chance, after having an x-ray or a CT scan for another reason.