The Perils of Lung Cancer

Fast facts about lung cancer:

·         It’s the number one cause of cancer deaths in men and women worldwide.

·         Cigarette smoking is the main risk factor.

·         Exposure to second-hand smoke (passive smoking) can also cause lung cancer.

·         There are two types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancers (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), which grow and spread differently.

·         The most aggressiveand rapidly growing, SCLC constitute around 20% of lung cancers.

·         Treatment can involve a combination of surgery, radiation,chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

·         Its general prognosis is poor because doctors find lung cancer only at an advanced stage.

·         Five-year survival is around 54% for early-stage lung cancer localized to the lungs, but only about 4% in advanced, inoperable lung cancer.

·         Smoking cessation is critical in preventing its development.

·         Lung cancer tumours can be benign or malignant (cancerous).

·         Benign tumours can usually be removed and don’t spread to other body parts.

·         But malignant tumours often grow aggressively locally where they emerge.

·         Tumour cells can also enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system, then spreading to other sites in the body (metastasis).

·         Since lung cancer spreads or metastasizes very early after forming, it is one of the most difficult cancers to treat and extremely life-threatening.

·         While lung cancer can spread to any organ, certain areas – the adrenal glands, liver, brain, and bones – are most vulnerable.

·         Primarily a disease of the elderly, almost 70% of those with lung cancer are 65-plus, with less than 3% occurring in people under 45 years. The median diagnosis age: 70 years.

·         Uncommon before the 1930s, it rose dramatically after tobacco smoking soared.

Lung cancer causes and risk factors:

Smoking

·         Around 90% of cases arise from tobacco abuse.

·         Tobacco smoke has 4,000-plus chemical compounds, many carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

Passive smoking

Inhalation of tobacco smoke by non-smokers (living or working with smokers) is an established risk factor leading to a 24% rise in risk for developing lung cancer.

Asbestos fibres

These are silicate fibres that can persist in lung tissue for a lifetime after exposure to asbestos.

Familial predisposition

All smokers don’t eventually develop lung cancer,indicating other factors(e.g. individual genetic susceptibility) may play a role in causing lung cancer.

Lung diseases

Having certain lung diseases (notably chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD) is linked with ahigher risk for developing lung cancer even after excluding the effects of concomitant cigarette smoking.

Prior history

Lung cancer survivors run a higher risk of developing a second lung cancer than the general population has of developing a first lung cancer.

Air pollution

Vehicular, industrial, and power plant pollution inflates the chances of developing lung cancer in exposed persons.

Diesel exhaust

Diesel engine exhaust contains carcinogenic gases and soot (particulate matter).

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms are varied depending on the location and tumour spread. Warning signs are not always present or easy to spot. In some cases, there may be no pain or other symptoms. A lung cancer victim may have:

No symptoms: In up to 25% of cases, lung cancer is first discovered on a routine chest X-ray or CT scan as a solitary small mass.Such patients often report no symptoms when the cancer is found.

Cancer-related symptoms: The cancer growth may interfere with breathing, leading to symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain, and coughing up blood (haemoptysis). If cancer invades nerves, it can cause shoulder pain or paralysis of the vocal cords leading to hoarseness. Invasion of the esophagus may lead to difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).

Metastasis-related symptoms: Lung cancer spreading to the bones may produce excruciating pain at the sites. Cancer spreading to the brain may cause neurologic symptoms,including blurred vision, headache, seizures, or symptoms of stroke such as weakness or loss of sensation in some body parts.

Non-specific symptoms:These include weight loss, weakness and fatigue. Depression and mood changes are also common.

When to consult a doctor

Consult a Doctor of Cancer if symptoms associated with lung cancer exist, particularly if there is:

·         A new persistent cough or worsening of an existing chronic cough

·         Blood in the sputum

·         Persistent bronchitis or chronic respiratory infections

·         Chest pain

·         Unexplained weight loss and/or fatigue

·         Breathing difficulties (shortness of breath or wheezing).

Treatment and prevention

This mainly involves surgeryto remove the cancer, chemotherapy, or radiation, as well as combinations of the treatments. Targeted therapies and hypnotherapy are used as well. The treatment mode will depend on the location and extent of the tumour, besides the patient’s overall health. Considering the gravity of the disease, prevention is best. Avoiding tobacco products and exposure to second-hand smoke is crucial. Screenings for early detection may be advised for high-risk individuals.
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Radiation Therapy for Cancer

Radiotherapy treats cancer by using radiation to destroy on injure cancer cells. The radiation can be targeted onto cancer sites in your body. Treatment is carefully planned to do as possible to your normal body tissue. Newer techniques of intercity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) and image guided radiotherapy(IGRT) ensure maximum dose to the tumor safeguarding the normal uninvolved organs from adverse effects.

Gated Radiation Therapy for Lung Cancer:

This is a highly specialized form of radiation therapy where moving tumour such as lung tumour is targeted in a particular phase of breathing cycle. It improves accuracy and reduce side-effects associated with radiation therapy.
Treatment is painless and may take only two to three minutes usefully; radiotherapy is given as a number of treatments over a period of weeks. Radiotherapy may be used to cure some early stage lung cancers. It may be used with candidate for cancer surgery. Radiotherapy can be used to relieve pain and others symptoms, for example, pain caused by cancer that has spread to the bones of brain. Treatment that is used to relieve symptoms of disease with our attempting to cure disease is called palliative treatment.

Targeted Therapy (Biological Agents)

Some people, usefully non-smokers (who have never smoked) are suitable for a new kind of drug that targets the growth genes and/or the blood-vessel forming genes of the cancer cells. These drugs tend to have not as many side effects as the usual chemotherapy drugs, although they can cause rashes. Usually targeted therapy will be used after normal chemotherapy no longer controls the disease. Your doctor may order a special gene test to see if your cancer is susceptible to this type of drug.

Prognosis

As in most types of cancer, the results of treatment are best when the cancer is detected and treated early. People who have surgery in the early stages of lung cancer have a very good chance of cure. In many people, lung cancer is not found while it can still be operated upon. In people with advanced cancer, palliative treatment with radiotherapy can effectively treat many symptoms?
People who continue to smoke after lung cancer treatment are at risk of further disease. If you would like information about your own prognosis, you need to speak to a doctor who knows your medical history.

Motto of max Cancer Care

At max cancer, we are committed to recuperating our patients as soon as possible. Our dedicated team of leading oncologist provides the most advanced cancer treatments using cuttings edges technology, based on international standers. Cancer care requires medical professionals from different specialties to collectivity execute an individualized patient care plan for best results. We firmly believe in delivering quality care, support and re-assurance to our patients.
We believed that each patient and his/her disease is unique, hence our team of oncology experts customise a ‘Personalised treatment plan ‘based on the discussions in tumour board conference the participation of our patients as well caregivers to understand the disease and treatment process.
For know more about lung cancer treatment please visit at https://nayatihealthcare.com/ and consult with the surgeon.