World Lung Cancer Day, observed on August 1st, serves as a crucial reminder of the global battle against lung cancer, a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. This day aims to raise awareness about the risks associated with lung cancer, including smoking, environmental factors, and genetic predispositions. It also highlights the importance of early detection and advances in treatment, which can significantly improve survival rates. World Lung Cancer Day strives to inspire action, support affected individuals, and foster a united effort towards finding effective solutions and ultimately reducing the impact of this devastating disease.
With the current situations of lifestyle, stressful states, smoking, poor nutrition and air pollution disease like lung cancer will not be uncommon.
A patient goes to doctor when body starts to develop symptoms. Lung cancer symptoms can be either silent or even non specific that makes it sometimes to grow undetected.
If patient who has smoking history has symptoms like cough that is not going despite treatment, spitting of blood in sputum, weight loss , poor appetite a doctor might ask you for series of tests/investigations including X-ray which may show some spot/nodule. If that abnormality is not getting better or increasing on serial X-ray then a doctor may ask you for CT scan and biopsy to rule out lung cancer type of situation.
Good thing is with current era hospitals and doctors are well equipped with latest advanced machinery to reach deeper into the diagnosis.
Many a times cancer can be shown up on routine investigations as incidental findings despite no symptoms at all. There lies the importance of regular health check ups with your doctor to fish out any silent sign of cancer.
There are many disease which may mimic and co exists lung cancer in terms of symptoms like tuberculosis which may have strikingly similar symptoms and signs as of lung cancer. So it is important to diagnose accurately and not just on basis of X-rays but even diagnosis of tb has to be confirmed before starting the treatment as wrong treatment or inadequate treatment wastes a lot of time. So any time one is facing any problem like mentioned above don’t ignore them and consult your doctor.
The best way to turn away the risk of cancer is to correct the lifestyle , give up on smoking and saving itself from air pollution.
(Author: Dr Mayank Saxena, Additional Director, Pulmonology, Fortis Hospital, Noida)
