Lung Cancer Panama
What is lung cancer?
Esophageal cancer (also called esophageal cancer) develops when cells in the lining of this digestive structure grow out of control.
Basically, esophageal cancer starts anywhere along the tract, in the inner layer of the esophageal wall, and grows outward through the other layers.
Causes of lung cancer
Researchers have identified certain factors that increase the chances of developing lung cancer:
Smoke. It is the main risk factor and is linked to around 80% - 90% of lung carcinoma deaths. Tobacco smoke is a deadly mixture of more than 7000 chemicals; many of them highly toxic and at least 70 carcinogenic. In fact, people who smoke cigarettes are between 15 and 30 times more likely to contract this type of cancer than non-smokers; a risk that also increases with the years and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Quitting smoking at any age not only reduces the risk of lung cancer; It also mitigates the chances of suffering from cancer in the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas, larynx, trachea, kidney, cervix, among others.
Secondary cigarette smoke. When a person breathes in the smoke emitted by another smoker, it is as if they are smoking. In these cases, the harmful chemicals contained in the smoke are not only cancer-causing, but can also lead to heart disease, stroke, sudden infant death syndrome, respiratory or ear infections, and asthma attacks in children.
Personal or family history of lung cancer. A lung cancer survivor has an elevated risk of getting or restarting this or another type of cancer, especially if they smoke. The hereditary factor adds to the risks, especially among direct relatives such as parents, siblings or children. However, in these cases there is also a likelihood that they will be exposed to the same toxic environments.
Radiation therapy to the chest. Some lung cancer survivors report having had radiation therapy to the chest.
Feeding. Some foods and nutritional supplements have been tested for carcinogen, especially those that contain chemicals and preservatives.
Radon. This element is the second cause of lung cancer. It is a naturally occurring gas that forms in rocks, soil, and water. It has no smell, color, or taste. In any case, when radon enters residences or buildings through cracks and holes, it can become trapped and accumulate in the indoor air where people live or work; therefore breathing it in highly toxic concentrations.
Symptoms of lung cancer
The symptoms of lung cancer can be different in each person, with respiratory problems being characteristic in many cases.
Early Symptoms of Lung Cancer
In most cases, lung cancer does not show signs until it is advanced; However, some of the initial symptoms are:
Weight loss with no known cause.
Chest pain.
Persistent or worsening cough.
Coughing up blood.
Shortness of breath.
Wheezing.
Permanent tiredness.
Repeated attacks of pneumonia.
Swollen or enlarged glands inside the breast.
What to do if I think I have symptoms of lung cancer?
Early detection is the use of tests or exams to find a disease in people who believe they have symptoms.
As a result, common chest X-rays have been studied for the detection of lung cancer.
Likewise, low-dose computed tomography has become a study that allows the identification of abnormal areas in the lungs; becoming a test that helps reduce the risk of dying from lung cancer.
Early Symptoms of Lung Cancer
There are two main types of lung cancer:
Small cell lung cancer (less common).
Non-small cell lung cancer (this is the most common and includes adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma).
Small Cell Lung Cancer
Also called small cell carcinoma of the lung, it is one of the forms of this type of cancer. Some studies have shown that small cell lung carcinoma has already spread when it is detected; so his prognosis is not encouraging.
Non-small cell lung cancer
It is the most common type of lung cancer, usually growing and spreading more slowly than small cell lung cancer. There are 3 common forms of non-small cell lung cancer:
Adenocarcinomas, which are often found on the outside of the lung.
Squamous cell carcinomas, which are usually found in the center of the lung, next to an air passage (bronchus).
Large cell carcinomas, which can occur anywhere in the lung.
Importance of Early Cancer Detection
Undoubtedly, cancer is a disease whose treatment produces a better response to the extent that early detection is carried out. Obviously, in some patients there are no symptoms and preventive medicine must be acted; But in many other cases, the signs can alert us to act and rule out their presence in time.
On the other hand, early detection of cancer greatly reduces its financial impact. Not only is the cost of treatment in the early stages much lower, but sufferers can maintain their work routine and active lifestyle.
Stages of Lung Cancer
Recognizing that lung cancer is a leading cause of death in many countries; It is important to know each of its stages or stages.
Stage 0 lung cancer
This is called in situ disease, where cancer cells are contained in a specific area and have not invaded other normal tissues of the organ itself.
For this reason, it is usually treated satisfactorily with surgery, since it has not penetrated deeply into the internal tissues. During this stage, chemotherapy or radiotherapy is not required; and thanks to early detection, it is possible to establish a better life expectancy for the patient.
Stage I lung cancer
From stage I we are faced with a small tumour that has not reached the lymph nodes and still has a very good prognosis if treated.
That is why the first option to consider is surgery, where the lobe with the tumor is removed in what is known as a lobectomy. A small part of the lung is also usually removed and lymph nodes removed for testing (biopsy); the results of which may suggest the application of chemotherapy treatment.
Stage II lung cancer
As soon as we are faced with stage II cancer, there are two possible situations:
A tumor between 4 – 5 cm long that has not yet spread to the lymph nodes.
A tumor that is about 5 cm long, but has already spread to at least one lymph node.
Unquestionably, surgery is also the first option at this stage, but only if the patient is in favorable physical condition. In some cases, the medical decision is to remove a large part of the lung; although radiotherapy and chemotherapy are also usually combined to try to reduce the size of the tumour.
Stage III lung cancer
In the case of stage III cancer, there is a subclassification according to the size and degree of involvement of the lymph nodes.
For this reason, a combination of treatments is usually used, which in addition to surgery include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
Because this type of cancer has already spread to the lymph nodes, it is almost impossible to remove it completely by surgery. Hence, the rest of the treatments are the most convenient alternatives.
Stage IV lung cancer
After identifying a stage IV cancer, we know that there is a tumor that has spread widely through the bloodstream and its treatment possibilities are very limited.
In particular, as it spreads to distant places, it is very difficult to cure. However, the patient can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and laser to relieve their discomfort.
Metastasis
Metastasis is the process of spreading a cancerous focus to an organ other than the one in which it began.
It generally occurs through the blood or lymphatic route and about 92% of deaths from undetected cancer are related to metastatic processes; where diseased cells penetrate blood and lymphatic vessels, travel through the bloodstream and grow into a new focus of normal tissues elsewhere in the body.
Although it is the best known, the process of metastasis is not limited only to the spread of cancer cells. In the same way, cancer is also capable of spreading through the invasion mechanism, which is nothing more than the migration and direct penetration of cancer cells into neighboring tissues.
Lung Cancer Treatment
A complete medical evaluation is the mechanism that allows the most appropriate treatment to be selected for each condition. Consequently, the doctor establishes a scheme that allows him to combine all the options available to each patient.
Surgery
It is the first choice for patients with early-stage cancer who are in good health.
Obviously, the goal of surgery is the total removal of tumor cells to provide a definitive cure.
However, the unfortunate development of lung cancer tends to occur in smokers over 50 years of age; which often conditions its application because they are people who already suffer from other types of complications.
Radiation therapy or radiation therapy
In these cases, the use of high-energy X-rays helps destroy cancer cells, while relieving symptoms such as bleeding, coughing, and pain. When used as an initial treatment instead of surgery, radiation therapy may be given alone or in combination with chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy
Therapy with drugs that kill cancer cells is usually applied intravenously. In this regard, doctors usually administer chemotherapy after surgery to eliminate the microscopic disease. Chemical therapy also helps slow tumor growth and relieves symptoms in patients who cannot have surgery.
Targeted therapy
Another type of treatment uses man-made molecules (monoclonal antibodies) that recognize and bind to the surface of cancer cells to kill them.
A descriptive example of this occurs by looking at the behavior of natural antibodies, which attack viruses and bacteria that invade the body. As a result of many scientific analyses, monoclonal antibodies replicate this behavior to attack cancer.
To extend its effectiveness, the specialist may combine targeted therapy with a chemotherapy drug or radioactive materials.
Immunotherapy
Finally, this therapy uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer, after identifying markers on the surface of the tumor cells.
Nursing care in patients with lung cancer
The well-being of a person with lung cancer depends on the reliable support of a caregiver. This is a professional who will play the dual role of assistant and home health helper.
Unquestionably, it is a necessary role that provides the accompaniment that this type of patient needs; combining medical care with practical and emotional assistance.
Health care:
You must take responsibility for:
Administer medications.
Help manage your side effects.
Attend medical appointments with the patient.
Maintain contact with the treating physician.
Participate in palliative care needs.
Hands-on Care
Some nurses who care for cancer patients may be able to arrange other supports that the cancer requires, including:
Purchase of food.
Meal preparation.
Cleaning and tidying up the house.
Wash clothes.
Make payments.
Emotional care
Providing emotional support to a patient with lung cancer is one of the most challenging activities of a nurse. Without a doubt, they are patients who face constant uncertainty when they are aware of their disease; which is why these professionals have the great responsibility of keeping hope alive, especially in the most difficult moments.
For this reason, they must have the ability to actively listen to the patient when they talk about their disease and help them accept it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lung Cancer
It is almost impossible not to be filled with questions and doubts when you know that you have lung cancer or someone in your close environment suffers from it. Among all these questions, we present the answers to some of them.
At what stage does cancer become terminal?
Basically, this occurs in stage IV or metastatic stage, when the cancer cannot be cured and efforts are focused on offering a better quality of life to the patient in their final stage of life.
Some of the symptoms that accompany this process are:
- Delirium
- Tiredness and shortness of breath
- Pain
- Cough
- Constipation
- Difficulty swallowing
- Death rattles when breathing
- Myoclonic contractions
- Fever
- Haemorrhage
Is lung cancer hereditary?
Between 5% and 10% of all cancer cases are caused by germline mutations, that is, by genetic inheritance. However, in the specific case of lung carcinoma, hereditary tumors are rare.
In fact, most cases of lung cancers are related to genetic changes acquired during life, for example, smoking or living in a polluted environment.
Is there a cure for lung cancer?
Although cure rates for this type of cancer are very low, it is possible to achieve this even when the disease has spread to the lymph nodes in the chest.
Stage I and II lung tumors are often discovered accidentally, while studying other diseases; which explains the low overall survival of this type of cancer worldwide (around 15% at 5 years). However, all this is closely related to early detection and timely treatment.
Even so, patients with stage III lung cancer treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy combined sequentially have a survival rate of approximately 14 months. Finally, in the case of patients who are in stage IV, less than 10% of those who receive treatment survive one year.
Are there vaccines for lung cancer?
It seems unlikely, since lung cancer is not caused by a virus or bacteria. This disease, from which more than 2 million people die annually in the world, is caused by damage to the genetic material caused by non-infectious agents, mostly the carcinogens in tobacco.
Each patient is an entity with its own genetic alterations (none of the alterations is common to all lung cancers); Therefore, it is not an easy task to develop a vaccine.
What is the most common lung cancer?
Non-small cell lung cancer or non-small cell lung cancer is the most common, with a record of between 85 – 90% of cases.
How to prevent lung cancer?
Some of the actions that help reduce the risk of lung cancer are:
- Do not smoke, or if you already smoke, quit.
- Avoid secondhand smoke.
- Test for radon in your home or office.
- Comply with workplace health and safety guidelines to avoid contact with carcinogenic substances.
"My greatest motivation as a Surgical Oncologist in Panama is to have the opportunity to help each patient find multiple reasons to keep fighting."
- Dr. Roberto García
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