Did you know that lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the world?[1] The leading cause of death worldwide[2], lung cancer starts in the lungs, mostly originating in the cells lining the air passages. There are two distinct categories of lung cancer, namely;
· Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) - This is more common and comprises of 85% of all lung cancer cases. There are three subtypes - adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.
· Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)– Occurring most often in smokers, SCLC is more aggressive and less commonly found. It grows more rapidly at a faster rate and spreads to areas outside the lung like the bones, liver etc.
The symptoms of lung cancer may take years to develop. In some cases, the condition remains asymptomatic until a later stage in the condition. Symptoms range from simple but persistent cough, shortness of breath, chest infection, weight loss wheezing, chest pain etc. It branches out to more obvious symptoms such as lumps in the neck, coughing blood, blackouts, complete loss of breath, and other more detrimental consequences.
It is a well-known fact that the most definitive cause of lung cancer is smoking. The risk of lung cancer increases with the duration and number of cigarettes smoked. Around 18% of people who develop lung cancer are non-smokers.[3] There are a strong direct links between smoking and lung cancer, which are as follows;
- When compared to non-smokers, smokers are at a higher risk of lung cancer. It is related to the number of cigarettes smoked per day, as well as the duration of the smoking. The longer one has been smoking, the higher the risk of cancer.
- Non-smokers who are around smokers tend to inhale secondhand smoke – called passive smoking. Upon regular exposure to smoke increases the chances of developing lung cancer, but the risk remains lower than active smokers.
- People who quit smoking even after a long period of smoking are also at the risk of developing cancer, but the risk decreases to 50 % after quitting. Some hereditary variables may also contribute to a non-smoker's increased chance of developing lung cancer.
- Lung cancer is more common in smoking males than female.
Given the link between smoking and lung cancer, most health awareness initiatives often focus on tobacco control and smoking cessation programs to lower the incidence of lung cancer and improve overall health outcomes.
However, apart from encouraging people to quit smoking, it’s also equally important to create awareness among them to screen for the condition. Early detection and screenings in high-risk individuals can greatly help diagnose lung cancer at an early stage where therapy is manageable, and the cure rate is much higher.
Like all types of cancer, early detection is the key to successfully managing and treating lung cancer. Treatment usually requires a multidisciplinary approach involving various specialties who will plan the best mode of treatment depending on the type, stage, size/position of the cancer and an individual’s overall health. Treatment options include;
Surgery: often used to treat early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and, in certain situations, limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC). This involves removing the tumor and any damaged tissues around it. The complete lung (pneumonectomy) or a portion of the lung (lobectomy or segmentectomy) may be removed.
Radiation Therapy: High-energy beams are used to destroy or shrink cancer cells. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with chemotherapy or surgery. Radiation therapy is often used when surgery is not an option or when cancer cells remain after surgery.
Chemotherapy: performed orally or intravenously, involves the use of medication to destroy the cancer cells or slow their growth. It’s usually used to treat advanced lung cancer or in combination with other treatments.
Targeted therapies: Targeted therapies are drugs that target specific molecules or pathways involved in the growth and spread of cancer cells. These treatments are tailored to an individual's specific tumor characteristics and effective in certain types of NSCLC that have specific genetic mutations.
Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy drugs help the patient's immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. It has shown considerable promise in the treatment of advanced lung cancer and is often used as a first- or second-line treatment alone or with concurrent chemotherapy.
As a smoker, it’s vital to seek assistance from a healthcare provider if you experience persistent symptoms or require help to quit smoking. Discovering you have cancer could be scary, however early detection and effective management can greatly help improve a person’s quality of life and survival.
[1] https://www.wcrf.org/cancer-trends/lung-cancer-statistics
[2] https://www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org/lung-cancer-facts/
[3] https://www.fredhutch.org/en/diseases/lung-cancer/facts-resources.
