Lung Cancer Awareness

NOVEMBER is booked every year as we all try to educate the public about lung disease. This includes not only lung cancer but also other conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Usually in October, breast cancer is talked about a lot, but lung cancer awareness is far less important in comparison. It is not only private entities, but also the Ministry of Health and the Jamaica Cancer Society.

The problem is that there are usually not many advocates for lung cancer awareness, while it occupies an important place in the epidemiology of cancer.

Lung cancer is responsible for more than a quarter of cancer-related deaths and is therefore the number one cancer cancer. It accounts for more cancer deaths than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.

While the majority of people diagnosed with lung cancer are smokers or former smokers over the age of 65, there is a rare case of young patients who have never smoked who develop lung cancer each year. It is usually women under 50 who have developed a genetic mutation, causing uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.

Nevertheless, more than 85% of lung cancers occur in people who have ever smoked, making smoking the most important risk factor. There is a direct link between smoking and lung cancer, the risk increasing with the time you smoke and the number of cigarettes you smoke each day. Compared to nonsmokers, the risk of lung cancer is 25 times higher for smokers.

Exposure to second-hand smoke is just as serious, and the risk of lung cancer is known to increase among exposed family members for a long time.

The high rate of lung cancer mortality is related to the advanced stage of the disease at the time of presentation. The lungs have an important reserve and the process must be advanced enough before the symptoms develop. This puts patients at a disadvantage, where curative surgery can not be offered at the time of diagnosis.

In Jamaica, our latest data suggest that more than 92-95% of patients have advanced disease. For many, systemic treatment with chemotherapy and, in some cases, radiotherapy is an option.

What can you do?

It is important to note that if you smoke, it is beneficial to stop at any time. Although smoking cessation does not necessarily reduce some of the irreversible changes that have already occurred, you will reduce any additional risk. Quitting smoking can be difficult, but seeking the help of a professional and using different forms of therapy can enable many people to succeed.

Do not ignore chronic cough! This could be a sign that something is wrong and not just the cold or the "smoker's cough". This is important, especially if it is associated with shortness of breath. Coughing blood is never, never normal and is an indication to check right away.

Repeated pulmonary infections can also occur and are due to blockage of part of the airways in the lungs. Other symptoms may include changes in voice and difficulty swallowing.

Weight loss, weakness, unexplained fractures, headaches and swelling of the face are indications of advanced disease.

As noted earlier, the majority of patients have no late symptoms. This is where screening and early detection become important.

Lung cancer screening is becoming increasingly common in some societies and has been shown to reduce lung cancer mortality by up to 20%.

Who is the lung cancer screened for?

Screening for lung cancer involves the use of what is called a low-dose scanner. It is a special type of X-ray that can provide detailed images of the lung.

An annual review is recommended if you meet the following conditions:

• you are between 55 and 80 years old;

• Current smoker or you have stopped in the past 15 years;

• have no symptoms or signs of lung cancer at this time;

• Smoking for at least 30 years.

It is there that it becomes a little technical. To calculate the number of years of conditioning, it is the number of packs per day x number of years of smoking (one pack contains 20 cigarettes).

Therefore, one pack a day for one year is one year. Ten cigarettes a day (half-pack) for 30 years correspond to 15 years of pack.

If you have symptoms or if your screening test suggests cancer, you will have to go through a series of additional tests to diagnose and determine the stage of the cancer.

Early diagnosis and surgical treatment are the best chance of recovery. Surgery usually involves removing part of the lung. In some cases, it may be necessary to remove an entire lung to allow complete removal of the cancer.

Later, you will be referred to the oncologist for further treatment options. In some cases of very advanced illness, where the person is too weak for any form of treatment, you will be asked to consult a palliative care specialist who will offer you options to control your symptoms and for your general well-being.

Again, it is important to emphasize the importance of stopping smoking and individuals must take responsibility for being screened for either screening – if they meet the above criteria – or for investigating everything. symptom or touching sign.

It is important that measures be put in place to reduce smoking, which in turn will reduce the incidence of lung cancer. The benefits are many because the cigarette is associated not only with lung cancer but with a host of other cancers and cardiovascular disorders.

The Ministry of Health has promised more comprehensive tobacco legislation in 2019, as announced by the minister a few days ago. Let's see where that leads us.

Dr. Sunil Stephenson is a consulting surgeon in cardiothoracic at the University Hospital of the West Indies. He is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of the West Indies, Mona. Please send questions and comments to [email protected]. You can reach him at office numbers 977-6883 or 927-1270.