Lung cancer has become one of the most common cancer killers throughout the world. Every year 1.8 million deaths happen as the consequence of lung cancer, as per–Globocan 2018. February is observed as National Cancer Prevention Month. Uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both the lungs can be called lung cancer. These abnormal cells can block the airways and interrupt our breathing process. Tobacco smoking has remained as the major reason behind lung cancer. Passive smoking, exposure to radon gas, asbestos fibres, and sometimes family history contributes to it.
The symptoms and risk factors for lung cancer are similar in both men and women, but the rates differ. Lung cancer is notorious for spreading across the whole body rapidly without any kind of early symptoms. These are usually painless tumours as we do not have any nerve endings in the lungs. There are very few exceptions where people may experience some early signs of lung cancer.
Signs of lung cancer that are common in both men and women:
• As lung cancer has now become more prevalent in non-smokers as well, it’s not surprising for even non-smokers to experience a consistent cough that doesn’t go away easily even with the help of medicines. If blood comes out even a small amount while coughing, it can indicate the danger of having cancerous growth in the lungs.
• Multiple tumours are formed in the lungs that obstruct the breathing process and therefore one may experience sudden shortness of breath.
• Unintentional weight loss.
• A persistent chest pain that worsens with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing.
• Unnecessary fatigue
• Loss of appetite and disruption in sleep even if there are no other medications going on.
• When the tumours start spreading to local lymph nodes, there are high chances that our vocal cord may get paralysed. Therefore, hoarseness in voice can be observed.
• In many cases of lung cancer, one can feel a chronic headache, muscle pain etc. Even sometimes, continuous back pain, shoulder pain or neck pain can be felt and these signs pinpoint the probability of lung cancer.
If lung cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, a complete cure can be ensured by offering surgery but in most cases, it is detected at an advanced stage when tumours have already spread throughout the body. At that stage, for some cases, chemotherapy and radiotherapy works but people generally do not survive for a long period of time. To prevent lung cancer, we have to become an advocate to make our own community smoke-free.
The writer is Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Fortis Hospital, Noida.
