Marion Brown A British woman who fell victim to lung adenocarcinoma, a form of cancer increasingly common in women Country: Great Britain

Biography of Marion Brown

Marion Brown, a 62-year-old former district nurse from Gateshead, became a victim of adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer that is increasingly common among women. One day, while on her way to her daughter Jill's beauty salon, Marion felt her strength leaving her and started to struggle for breath. She blamed it on her asthma, which she had been diagnosed with a few years earlier. Marion only used her inhaler occasionally, when climbing or carrying something heavy. When her daughter Jill came to her rescue, she suggested that Marion see a doctor, but Marion didn't think it was necessary. It wasn't until a few days later when Marion had another episode that she remembered her daughter's advice. Instead of her usual doctor, Marion saw a new, young specialist who sent her for an X-ray. This decision may have saved her life. The X-ray revealed a small opacity in her right lung, which doctors initially thought was scar tissue from an old infection. Marion underwent additional treatment for four weeks. In February 2010, a new X-ray was taken, but the opacity hadn't disappeared. The consultant turned to Marion and suggested that she see someone else. Marion's heart sank. With her background as a district nurse, she understood that her prospects were not good. She went back to the hospital with her husband, Kevin, where they suspected that she might have cancer. The X-ray and the first biopsy didn't raise any concerns, but the second biopsy revealed several suspicious cells on Marion's lungs, and she was told that surgery was needed to remove them. Three weeks later, Marion underwent a lobectomy, removing the upper lobe of her right lung. Marion recalls her visit to the consultant, "He looked at me and asked why I was alone. I had convinced myself so much that I couldn't possibly have cancer that I went to the appointment alone." However, the doctor informed Marion that they had removed a 3.7 cm cancerous growth. Marion says, "I was just crushed. I couldn't believe it. I always thought that lung cancer was something that happened to old, heavy smokers... Many years ago, I rarely smoked in company. I would smoke a little more during times of stress, but never more than ten cigarettes a day. There were days when I didn't smoke at all. When they found cancer in me, I hadn't smoked for ten years to avoid triggering my asthma. I just couldn't believe that one day I would be struck with lung cancer." Marion is one of the increasing number of women in the UK who are diagnosed with lung cancer. Over the past five years, the number of cases has increased by 13%. The mortality rate from lung cancer among European women has now exceeded the mortality rate from breast cancer. When Marion allowed herself to smoke, she usually chose "ultra-light cigarettes" with very low tar content. On this, Jan Hunt, a thoracic consultant surgeon from Tooting, commented, "Many people, especially women, have switched to low-tar cigarettes, mistakenly believing that they are less harmful. However, there are reasons to believe that people who make this choice take a deeper drag than when smoking stronger cigarettes to achieve the same effect. This has led to changes in the types of cancers we are seeing." The most common types of lung cancer in the UK are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Marion was diagnosed with the latter, in which cancerous growths often occur in the outer areas of the lungs. In recent years, surgeons like Jan Hunt have noted an increase in adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer in women. Hunt says, "People view lung cancer as a smoker's disease. There is an idea that if you quit smoking, the risk of developing lung cancer will decrease to a level comparable to that of someone who has never smoked. In reality, this is not the case. We still don't know why some people who smoked heavily for many years never develop lung cancer, while others who smoked occasionally do." Loic Lang-Lazdunski, a professor of thoracic surgery from London, says that lung cancer is often detected only after it has advanced. The traditional diagnostic methods work well for elderly patients. "The problem is that there are more and more women aged 40-50 who have smoked 20 cigarettes a day since the age of 13-15," explains Lang-Lazdunski. "Their adenocarcinomas are usually peripheral tumors on the outer edges of the lungs, and these small, aggressive tumors spread quickly." Adenocarcinoma can be treated surgically, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. However, action needs to be taken immediately. Too often, many women ignore symptoms such as a persistent cough or shortness of breath or dismiss them as existing conditions while the cancer spreads. If you have had a cough for more than three weeks, experience shortness of breath, or cough up blood, it is crucial to seek immediate medical attention. After her surgery, Marion underwent chemotherapy. If there are no changes, she will celebrate five years of remission in April 2015. Marion is trying to get back to a full life and maintain her health. "When I told people I had lung cancer, they didn't believe me," Marion says. "Like me, people think lung cancer is something that only happens to old people."