Lung Cancer: Be Aggressive for Early Detection and Prevention | Iadel Health System

Most of us are aware of the spread of lung cancer and our behavior has a strong influence on this type of cancer. However, despite well-known information on risk factors and new advanced treatment options, lung cancer remains a major cause of cancer death worldwide.

In the United States, 230,000 new cases of lung cancer are recorded annually, and according to the American Cancer Society, more than a total of colon, breast, and prostate cancers die from lung cancer.

“We knew that smoking was the most important risk of lung cancer for at least 70 years, but people still smoke, and most surprisingly, young people continue to smoke.” Said RubyGrimm, an oncologist at RubyGrimm Hematology and Oncology, which is part of the Iredell Physician Network.

Although treatments for lung cancer have made great strides, lung cancer remains a very prevalent form of cancer in the United States.

World Lung Cancer Day is August 1st. Recognizing risk, mitigating risk, pursuing preventative screening options, and early detection can combat this prevalence and change outcomes.

“Early detection and better treatment have improved survival after diagnosis of lung cancer, but the goal is clearly prevention,” Grimm said.

Dive deep: lung cancer
Lung cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the lung divide and proliferate, eventually forming a tumor. The cancer cells that make up this tumor can invade and destroy nearby healthy lung tissue.

Many years ago, lung cancer was considered a male illness. According to Grim, this was largely true until many women began smoking during World War II. Smoking during this period became an open expression of women’s desire for independence and gender equality.

Since 1985, women’s deaths from lung cancer have continuously outnumbered those from breast cancer.

“Currently, more than twice as many women die of lung cancer as breast cancer. The incidence is lower in men but higher in women,” says Grimm.

Risk factor
To reduce the chance of developing lung cancer, it is important to recognize risk factors and make honest attempts to reduce them.

You probably already know that smoking is the greatest risk of lung cancer. According to Grim, smoking is associated with 80-85% of lung cancers.

A person’s risk increases with the number of cigarettes per day and the number of years of smoking. Doctors describe this as the “pack year.” For example, if an individual smokes 2 packs of tobacco a day for 15 years, it will be 30 packs a year.

“Always quitting smoking reduces the risk, but it is never the same as the risk of nonsmokers,” Grimm said.

However, nonsmokers can develop lung cancer.

“Unfortunately, this is increasing frequently. About 16% of lung cancer patients are nonsmokers,” says Grimm.

Of the 16% of nonsmokers, women with lung cancer have a higher proportion than men. Approximately 19% of non-smoking women have lung cancer, in contrast to 9% of non-smoking men with lung cancer.

Risk factors that contribute to lung cancer in nonsmokers may include indirect smoking, exposure to asbestos, radon, or industrial metals such as nickel, cadmium, and arsenic.

Symptoms and detection
Early detection of lung cancer is essential for improved survival after assessing and reducing risk factors.

“Lung cancer can be detected accidentally when it is recognized as a result of symptoms or when it is evaluated for other health problems,” Grimm said.

According to Grim, common symptoms of lung cancer include coughing, hemoptysis, shortness of breath, repeated chest infections, chest pain, and hoarseness.

We recommend that you start screening to actively work to detect and prevent lung cancer.

A low-dose chest CT scan can detect lung cancer early before symptoms appear. These scans are approved for Medicare and other insurance refunds for people aged 50-80 who have smoked 20 packs a year, who are currently smoking, and who have smoked in the last 15 years.

process
Diagnosis of lung cancer can be frightening. However, there are several treatment options, and advances in knowledge and technology are enabling many new treatments.

If lung cancer is diagnosed, treatment includes medical management with surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, immunotherapy, molecular targeting therapy, and symptom management.

“New and good things are happening in the treatment of lung cancer, which leads to better results and fewer unpleasant side effects,” Grimm said.

According to Grim, these new advances are primarily due to the recognition of the molecular characteristics of tumors. This allows treatment to be directed to specific molecular processes.

Molecular testing of tumors can identify “driver mutations,” which are changes in cells that initiate the process of becoming cancerous. In order to live and grow, cells need to receive a specific signal from the driver. This driver signal can be thought of as the “on switch” of the cell. If the cells are cancerous, targeted treatment may switch or signal off, leading to cancer cell death.

Recognition of the molecular characteristics of tumors has also advanced immunotherapy strategies. Immunotherapy helps the body’s immune system stop or slow the growth of cancer cells. Certain treatments turn off the body’s immune response and allow it to attack cancer cells.

“Although advances in lung cancer management are encouraging, the need for prevention and early detection remains a top priority,” Grimm said.