Relocation Notice: Mt. Elizabeth Branch will be relocated to #15-11 from 2nd May 2023
What Is Lung Cancer and what causes it
Lung cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both lungs, usually in the cells lining the air passages. Lung cancer occurs when a lung cell makes the cell unable to correct any DNA damages and self destruct. Most types of lung cancer are the results of breathing in carcinogens in tobacco smoke; including exposure to second-hand smoke. These cancerous cell become tumorous, reducing the lung’s ability to provide the bloodstream with oxygen.
Symptoms of lung cancer
Lung cancer’s symptoms will appear as one or a combination of the following:
· Persistent or intense coughing (especially if more than 1 month)
· Pain in the chest shoulder, or back from coughing
· Difficulty breathing and swallowing
· Hoarseness of the voice
· Coughing up blood, or blood in the sputum
· Harsh sounds while breathing (stridor)
· Chronic bronchitis or pneumonia
As the lung cancer spread and devastate the body’s energy, these symptoms will appear:
· Fever
· Fatigue
· Unexplained weight loss
· Pain in joints or bones
· Problems with brain function and memory
· Swelling in the neck or face
· General weakness
· Bleeding and blood clots
Diagnosing Lung Cancer
The doctor will conduct a physical examination —— a chest examination —— and followed by chest imaging to assess the lung cancer. A biopsy will be done and a pathologist will determine whether it is non-small cell lung cancer or small cell lung cancer. All these procedures are designed to detect where the tumor is located and what additional organs may be affected by it.
Common imaging techniques will be used including the following:
· chest X-rays
· CT scans
· MRI scans
· PET scans
· bronchoscopy (a thin tube with a camera on one end)
· lung biopsy
The treatment of lung cancer
The treatment is different for small cell and non small cell lung cancer. There is usually no single treatment for cancer. Patients often receive a combination of therapies and palliative care. However, the main lung cancer treatments are as follow:
· Surgery
· Chemotherapy
· Radiation
Prevention of lung cancer
Lung cancer can be prevented only when there is no fist hand and/or second hand smoking. Screening your lung to find cancer at the earliest stage can prevent you from going through highly invasive procedures. Most lung cancers are detected in the late stages of the disease after they have spread and are harder to treat. Annual screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) highly recommended for smokers who are 55 years old and above with a history of smoking.