Myths about the causes and treatment of lung cancer are quite numerous, not only flooding the Internet but also flourishing among groups such as patients, families and lay people. Some are inferred and taken for granted, while others can prevent proper patient care. For example, one patient refused to undergo surgery that might have cured her because she thought it would expose the tumor to air and cause it to spread. I also know a patient who and his family unanimously refused radiotherapy after the diagnosis was clear because a cancer patient in his neighboring village had survived long term using herbal remedies. What are the current fictions about lung cancer that eventually evolved into myths? And what are the facts? Myth #1 — Only smokers get lung cancer In fact, there are many lung cancer patients who had quit smoking for many years when they developed the disease. According to global data, about 10% of patients have never smoked, and about 20% of all female lung cancer patients are lifelong nonsmokers. In China, about 1/3 of female lung cancer patients are active smokers, and only half of them are secondhand smokers. Myth 2 — More women die from breast cancer than lung cancer The incidence of lung cancer in women is quite high, and in some areas the incidence of lung cancer in women is more than 1/2 of that in men, and the number of women dying from lung cancer is increasing and has significantly exceeded that of any other part of the tumor. In 2005, for example, in one developed country (the most recent statistics available), 69,078 women died from lung cancer compared to 41,116 from breast cancer. Myth 3 – There is no way to reduce the risk of lung cancer It is well known that avoiding smoking can reduce the risk of lung cancer. We currently know that other factors can increase or decrease the risk of lung cancer. Some environmental factors such as radon gas can increase the risk of developing lung cancer, and occupational exposure accounts for about 13-29% of lung cancer causes in men. On the positive side, a healthy diet and exercise can reduce the risk of lung cancer. Myth #4 – As the number of smokers decreases, the incidence of lung cancer decreases Globally, the incidence of lung cancer has been decreasing for men in developed countries year by year, but for women the incidence increases year by year as the number of smokers increases. In China, tobacco sales and national tax profits are rising, and the smoking rate and volume for both men and women are increasing, and with an aging population, the number of people suffering from lung cancer is rising rapidly. Myth 5 — Living in a polluted city, air pollution is more dangerous than smoking Men and women who live in cities for a long time will be more exposed to air pollution caused by car exhaust, etc., which does raise the risk of lung cancer, but the risk is much smaller compared to smoking. Myth #6 — Quitting smoking is no longer necessary if you already have lung cancer After a diagnosis of lung cancer, quitting smoking is really not helpful in developing lung cancer. However, there are several reasons why patients should quit smoking: quitting will improve the success rate of surgery and make treatment more effective, and quitting smoking reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and other causes caused by smoking. Myth #7 — I am too young to get lung cancer Lung cancer is mostly seen in older people, but can also occur in younger people and even children. Some studies have shown that the incidence of one form of lung cancer —- bronchoalveolar carcinoma (BAC) is on the rise among young women who do not smoke. We counted 23,000 cases of lung cancer patients hospitalized in several large hospitals in Zhengzhou over the past 2 years, and patients under 40 years of age accounted for 5.0% of all lung cancer patients, with a male-to-female ratio close to 1:1, significantly lower than the overall 2:1. Myth 8 — There is no need to treat lung cancer at advanced age Clinically, treatment options cannot be chosen simply based on the patient’s age. Those who are old are often able to tolerate chemotherapy. There is not much difference in tolerance to chemotherapy compared to relatively younger patients. The quality of life after surgery is also not much worse than the general population. How good the physical fitness status (a graded measure of how well a person is able to perform daily activities) is a better indicator of whether an individual is able to tolerate various treatments. Myth 9 — Surgery causes lung cancer to spread Many people believe that once lung cancer is exposed to air it will accelerate the spread of the tumor and treat surgery as a dangerous treatment, a perception that is particularly common among black Americans. In fact, surgery does not cause lung cancer to spread and has a fairly high cure rate if the cancer removed is early stage lung cancer. Myth 10 — A diagnosis of lung cancer is a death sentence It is true that the overall survival rate of lung cancer is not high, and most patients have lost the chance of cure because the tumor has invaded into the surrounding area or has metastasized by the time they are seen. However, even if the tumor is no longer curable, reasonable and effective interventions can change the trend of disease progression. Sometimes, even if it does not prolong life significantly, we have made considerable achievements in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.