Health Assessment in Nursing 04/09/2021

Thorax 1
Philippe John Federico

Answer Activity D number 1 only in HA Laboratory manual on p. 130. Post answers on

LMS/Assignment/Thorax and Lungs

Activity D.
1. Review the information in EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTH PROMOTION AND DISEASE
PREVENTION: LUNG CANCER (see page 378 in your textbook). Determine your own risk
for lung cancer. Next, identify ethnic groups that are at highest risk for lung cancer.
Discuss what teaching could be implemented to reduce these risks.

 Determine your own risk for lung cancer

I have low risk in having lung cancer, because I don’t smoke, I don’t expose myself to
smoke-emitted vehicles, and I avoid being with a primary smoker. Also, I haven’t
experienced the symptoms of lung cancer such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or cough
that relates to smoking habit.

 Identify ethnic groups that are at highest risk for lung cancer
The ethnic groups that are in high risk for having lung cancer are African American and
Native Hawaiians compared to whites, Japanese, Americans, and Latinos. (Haiman, Sc.D
et. Al., 2006). The high risk of lung cancer with these groups are highly associated with
cigarette smoking. The age when ethnic groups are high in percentage in smoking, 30.1
percent among black adults, 27.3 percent in white adults. Only 8 percent in black
smokers, however they are smoking 25 cigarettes per day. Native Hawaiians have higher
rates of lung cancer than whites, even though the smoking habits are very similar.

Source: Haiman, C. A., Stram, D. O., Wilkens, L. R., Pike, M. C., Kolonel, L. N., Henderson, B. E., & Le
Marchand, L. (2006). Ethnic and racial differences in the smoking-related risk of lung cancer.  New
England Journal of Medicine, 354(4), 333-342.

 Discuss what teaching could be implemented to reduce these risks.

The teachings that could be implemented to reduce the risks of having lung cancer are the
following:
 Avoid smoking cigarettes or joining a tobacco cessation program if you do smoke
 Inform and explain that according to a 2010 study (Parsons et al., 2010), even after
early-stage diagnosis of lung cancer, stopping smoking was found to double the survival
rate over 5 years.
 Avoid secondhand smoke exposure
 If you live in an older house or in an area with asbestos or radon, have home or office
checked to avoid exposure
 If work or home environment has arsenic, diesel exhaust, silica, chromium, or other
environmental substances that may be irritating to the lungs, use protective gear to
avoid these
 If you do smoke, avoid taking beta-carotene supplements.
 Seek a medical assessment for respiratory symptoms such as prolonged cough or pain in
the chest area.