Wojcicki, 56, had stepped down as CEO in February 2023 after nine years at the helm, to focus on her declining health.
Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has passed away after battling non-small cell lung cancer for two years, her husband announced in a Facebook post. “My loving wife of 26 years and mother of our five children left us today after 2 years of living with non-small cell lung cancer,” Dennis Troper wrote.
“Susan was not only my best friend and life partner, but also a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a dear friend to many. Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable. We are heartbroken, but grateful for the time we had with her. Please keep our family in mind as we go through this difficult time,” he said.
Wojcicki, 56, had stepped down as chief executive in February 2023 after nine years at the helm to focus on her failing health. Wojcicki was one of Google’s founders, having rented a garage space in her parents’ home from co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to found the company in 1998.
What is non-small cell lung cancer??
Non-small cell lung cancer is a rare, fast-growing lung cancer that can affect anyone, but it usually occurs in people who have smoked tobacco for a long time. Doctors say it can be cured in some people if caught early, but it can be fatal in many others. The only way to prevent small cell lung cancer is to stop smoking.
In the United States, about 57 out of every 100,000 people develop lung cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer accounts for about 15 percent of those diagnoses.
How does non-small cell lung cancer spread?
According to experts, non-small cell lung cancer begins when healthy cells in the lungs start to mutate or change into cancer cells, dividing and multiplying uncontrollably. Over time, these cancer cells clump together and form tumors, which block blood or lymph. Non-small cell lung cancer usually spreads to:
- Lymph nodes
- Bones
- Brain
- Liver
- Adrenal glands
Doctors say that once the cancer spreads, it also begins to create new cancerous tumors in the lymph nodes and organs, especially the lungs, eventually causing them to collapse.
Signs and symptoms of non-small cell lung cancer
According to experts, non-small cell lung cancer that has not spread rarely causes symptoms. However, when they do appear, they include:
- Severe chest pain
- Chronic cough
- Coughing up blood
- Difficulty breathing
- Facial swelling
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Hoarseness in the voice
- Swollen neck veins
- Unexplained weight loss
- Wheezing
Besides smoking, what causes non-small cell lung cancer?
Doctors say the cause is most often smokers or people exposed to tobacco smoke (secondhand smoke). Other risk factors include:
- Radiation exposure from cancer treatments or imaging scans
- Exposure to radon gas
- Exposure to workplace hazards such as asbestos, arsenic, nickel, tar, or toxic chemicals.
- Having a family history of lung cancer.
- Having the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV
Ways to reduce your risk of developing non-small cell lung cancer
Doctors say that avoiding tobacco is the best way to prevent non-small cell lung cancer. So if you currently smoke tobacco, try to quit as soon as possible. No matter how old you are or how long you’ve been smoking, your lungs begin to heal as soon as you quit.
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