Lung cancer is the nightmare of our days

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. The causes of lung cancer are different:

• Smoking is a risk factor in 85-90% of cases - for both smokers and non-smokers who are in close proximity and are forced to inhale tobacco smoke - passive smokers. The likelihood of developing lung cancer depends on the total duration of smoking in years, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, the depth of smoke intake and the type of cigarettes. The likelihood of developing lung cancer depends also on the age at which a person started smoking, the earlier, the higher the risk. Tobacco smoke contains toxic and carcinogenic substances: CO, acetaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, vinyl chloride, etc.

• Elevated radiation is also possible in a person's daily life. The source of this can be radioactive gas radon, which is formed as a result of the decay of radioactive uranium. Radon is released from the bowels of the earth, in rocks, gravel, stones, areas of mining of crushed stone and building materials. Radon enters the human body through water and air.

• Human health is also affected by working conditions - professional factors. It was proved that lung cancer is more common among workers of asbestos, coal, chromium, nickel and other mining and processing industries. It is noted that the presence of asbestos in the workplace in combination with smoking increases the risk of lung cancer more than five times.

• Prolonged and chronic inflammatory processes in the lung tissue also contribute to the development of lung cancer.

• And tuberculosis is considered potentially dangerous for the risk of developing lung cancer. A person can get primary lung cancer and repeatedly. In the case of lung cancer, there is usually no specific primary symptom. In approximately 5-15% of cases, this disease is found during a random chest X-ray in patients without symptoms or signs of poor health. In most cases, patients visit the doctor because of a specific complaint: cough, sputum, in which blood, shortness of breath and chest pain are possible. But even before the above symptoms may also appear common symptoms: fatigue, weakness, weight loss, worsening appetite, fever, anemia. When carrying out daily activities, a person needs additional time for rest, he notices a rapid heartbeat, which was not previously. In addition, lung cancer can spread to surrounding tissues - the neural plexus of the esophagus, the heart. In these cases, the disease has already been tolerated and causes pain in the shoulder, sensitivity disorders, difficulty eating, heart rhythm disorders, heart failure. Lung cancer cells can also get to the distant organs through the bloodstream - bones, liver, brain. Then the symptoms of the disease are joined to the general symptoms of the disease from that part of the organs.

During the diagnosis, data are usually obtained about the malignant type of lung cancer cells. There are two main groups, accounting for over 90% of all cases of lung cancer - small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. The small cell tumor is aggressive, it grows rapidly, it is characterized by a central location, spread (gives metastases) through the bloodstream - in 2/3 of the cases distant metastases are found already during the primary diagnosis. The main treatment for small-cell tumors is general therapy - chemotherapy.

Non-small cell lung cancer (about 80% of all cases of lung cancer) can be divided into four groups:

• Squamous - occurs most often, as a rule, form in the main airway, spreads more slowly, was associated with the effects of smoking.

• Adenocarcinoma - is formed from the bronchial epithelium of the glands.

• Bronchoalveolar - is formed in the alveoli of the lungs.

• Large-celled - usually formed at the periphery of the lungs. In the case of non-small cell lung cancer, while the process has not spread or is not yet involved in neighboring organs, surgery is used. Before the operation, the stage of cancer is established, the status of the lymph nodes is assessed, whether there are or still there are no distant metastases. The amount of work may vary - depending on the size and location of the tumor during surgery, one or more segments (segmentectomy), a whole lot (lobectomy), two lobes (bilobectomy) or the entire part of one lung (pneumonectomy) can be removed. After the operation, additional methods of treatment are prescribed-whether or not radiation and / or chemotherapy is needed. If surgery is not possible due to the spread of the tumor or concomitant diseases, radiation therapy is used.

Programs of mass screening for lung cancer are not recommended.

European studies in this area did not give the best results in improving mortality rates in comparison with the entire population. Experts believe that people at high risk of developing lung cancer are advised to undergo an X-ray examination and sputum cytology twice a year. For smokers, the chest X-ray should be performed as follows: up to 40 years - once in two years, after 40 years - once a year.

Quitting smoking both active and passive is still the main preventive measure of lung cancer.

If you still have lung cancer, or if you want to confirm the diagnosis, or consult about the treatment chosen, you should think about visiting German oncological clinics where the newest methods of diagnosis and treatment, as well as an experienced team of professionals in this field, can provide you Quality medical care.