The Link Between OSA and Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer for both men and women and is responsible for more than three times the most deaths of any other type of cancer. Unfortunately, OSA, also known as obstructive sleep apnea, is one of the most common disorders among men and women, and there has been a link established between the two. If you have OSA and wonder what you can do to decrease your chances of lung cancer, we are here for you. Keep reading to learn more about the link between OSA and lung cancer and how to get OSA treatment without the need for a CPAP machine.
What Is OSA?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by episodes of a complete airway collapse or a partial collapse with an associated decrease in oxygen saturation or arousal from sleep. Other symptoms include loud, disruptive snoring, witnessed apneas during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness. This disturbance results in fragmented, nonrestorative sleep. OSA has significant implications for cardiovascular health, mental illness, quality of life, and driving safety.
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
- Loud snoring
- Episodes of stopped breathing, gasping, and coughing during sleep
- Excessive daytime drowsiness
- Headaches, especially in the morning
- Bad breath
- Dry mouth
- Sore throat
- Dental issues
- Trouble with focusing, paying attention, or memory retention
- Frequent night awakenings
It is difficult to know whether you have obstructive sleep apnea since most of the hallmark symptoms happen while you are asleep. However, making note of the other symptoms of sleep apnea that happen while you’re awake can help you connect the dots. Speak with your doctor if you are worried whether you may have a sleep apnea issue.
What is Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the lungs. The main types of lung cancer are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): About 80% to 85% of lung cancers are NSCLC. The main subtypes of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. These subtypes, which start from different types of lung cells, are grouped together as NSCLC because their treatment and prognoses (outlooks) are often similar.
- Small cell lung cancer (SCLC): About 10% to 15% of all lung cancers are SCLC. This type of lung cancer tends to grow and spread faster than NSCLC. In most people with SCLC, the cancer has already spread beyond the lungs at the time it is diagnosed. Since this cancer grows quickly, it tends to respond well to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Unfortunately, for most people the cancer will return at some point.
Lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States (not counting skin cancer). In men, prostate cancer is more common, while breast cancer is more common in women.
How are OSA and Lung Cancer Connected?
It’s true: There is a link between OSA and lung cancer. The link between the two has been studied extensively since many patients who have lung cancer also experience OSA. Here is what we know:
- Lung cancer is preventable and treatable, and it is important to identify new risk factors for lung cancer, especially those that can be treated or reversed, such as OSA.
- The pathophysiological processes associated with OSA, such as sleep fragmentation, intermittent hypoxia, and increased sympathetic nervous excitation, may affect normal neuroendocrine regulation, impair immune function (especially innate and cellular immunity), and ultimately contribute to the occurrence of lung cancer, accelerate progression, and induce treatment resistance.
- OSA may be a contributor to but a preventable cause of the progression of lung cancer.
- The association between OSA and lung cancer has been explored, and several studies suggested that lung cancer increases the risk of OSA and that OSA enhances the occurrence of lung cancer.
- It was also suggested that severe OSA could increase the mortality of lung cancer.
How Can I Avoid an OSA and Lung Cancer?
Obstructive sleep apnea and lung cancer are both, by and large, treatable and preventable conditions. There are many things you can start doing to reduce your risk of these conditions, such as making certain lifestyle changes and seeking treatment for OSA.
Reducing Your Risk of OSA
Some of the ways you can greatly reduce your risk of developing OSA include:
- Maintain a healthy weight. The more you weigh, the greater your chance of developing OSA. Losing weight will help your health overall in many ways, including relieving airway blockage and greatly improving your OSA symptoms.
- Manage your allergies. If you suffer from seasonal allergies or have issues with dust and pollen, getting on a regular allergy regime will help reduce your risk of developing OSA.
- Change your sleeping position. Sleeping on your back will cause snoring more easily. Changing your sleeping position by using pillows and other methods can help you breathe through your nose and stop the gasping episodes.
- Quitting smoking and reducing alcohol. Smoking can cause inflammation of the airways, leading to OSA. Alcohol and other sedative medications can worsen OSA. Limiting, or eliminating, both of these will greatly improve your OSA symptoms.
Reducing Your Risk of Lung Cancer
Not all lung cancers can be completely prevented. However, there are certain risk factors that you can control to greatly reduce your risk of developing it. Some of these include:
- Quitting smoking. The best way to reduce your risk of lung cancer is not to smoke and to avoid breathing in other people’s smoke. If you stop smoking before a cancer develops, your damaged lung tissue gradually starts to repair itself. No matter what your age or how long you’ve smoked, quitting will lower your risk of lung cancer and help you live longer.
- Reduce radon exposure. Radon causes lung cancer. Radon is a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, which are radioactive metals, break down in rocks, soil, and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily by breathing radon in the air, which comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes. Because radon comes naturally from the earth, people are always exposed to it. You can get your home tested for radon levels.
OSA Treatment Without a CPAP
If you are ready to get OSA treatment and want to avoid a lifetime of being chained to a CPAP machine, we can help you.
The Vivos Method is a noninvasive, nonsurgical solution to treat OSA. It has been tested and proven to work with severe OSA and pediatric OSA. Rather than sign up for a lifetime of CPAP treatment, you can treat your OSA in as little as one year.
Vivos’ DNA appliance, part of its CARE line of advanced OSA treatment appliances, offers significant clinical advantages over existing therapies for moderate to severe OSA. It is non-invasive, safe, comfortable, affordable, and highly effective. Designed to reduce nighttime snoring and treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, even in children aged 6 to 17, this Vivos device is intended for those diagnosed with snoring and/or OSA requiring orthodontic treatment.
OSA Treatment with Gorman Health and Wellness
Dr. Gorman is a part of the breathing wellness movement, which aims to increase awareness and improve treatment for sleep-related airway conditions like sleep apnea.
He has partnered with organizations focused on collaborating with dentists to apply the sciences of Craniofacial Epigenetics (the study of cranial modifications caused by gene expression as opposed to genetic code alteration) and Pneumopedics® (the practical application of oral appliance therapy and non-surgical airway remodeling) in the management of sleep apnea. Together, the application of these sciences allows for underlying causes of airway obstruction to be treated in 98% of cases, resulting in a high success rate among sleep apnea patients.
For every sleep apnea case at our practice, Dr. Gorman will gather patient data and determine the patient’s specific needs based on home sleep test results, dental impressions, CT scans, and images. Our state-of-the-art technology, paired with Dr. Gorman’s experience with sleep disorders, allows him to find the most effective treatment plan for each individual’s particular case, yielding improved daytime and nighttime breathing for the patient.
“I have been helping people suffering from Sleep Apnea with a non-invasive, clinically approved treatment method. This method has allowed my patients to sleep with far fewer events per hour, allowing them to get rid of their CPAP and BiPAP machines. Imagine not having to use one of those machines, getting back a much greater quality of life along with the benefits of being able to breathe better.” – Dr. Gorman.
Contact us today for more information on Dr. Gorman, improving your sleep apnea, and decreasing your chances of lung cancer.
