1st August is World Lung Cancer Day. Let’s take this opportunity to discuss some facts about lung cancer. The rapid division of the cells of the lungs in an uncontrollable way leads to this cancer. It can often spread to lymph nodes and other organs in the body. There are occasions when cancer spreads to the lungs from other organs. Non-small cell and small cell are its two types. The growths of these two types are different. The cases of non-small cell lung cancer are more than those of small cell lung cancer. You will get effective lung cancer treatment in Howrah.
Risk Factors
The risk of developing lung cancer becomes more due to the following factors:
- Smoking:
A major risk factor for lung cancer is smoking tobacco in different forms. There are numerous toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke. The people who don’t smoke have much less risk of suffering from it than people who smoke. Stay away from smoking to be on the safe side.
- Second-hand smoke:
You can also have it if you are exposed to second-hand smoke. It’s almost as risky as smoking.
- Radon:
The source of this natural gas is rocks and dirt. It can get trapped in houses and buildings.
- Workplace hazards:
Asbestos, arsenic, silica, chromium and diesel exhaust present in some workplaces can cause this cancer.
- Personal or family history:
If anyone of your family has lung cancer, you have the risk. It is also true if you had it in the past.
Symptoms Of Lung Cancer
At a later stage, lung cancer causes different symptoms including:
- Not willing to eat
- Voice becoming hoarse
- Have frequent infections in the chest
- Finding it difficult to breath
- Losing weight
- Pain in the head
Diagnosis
After thoroughly checking your health condition, a reputed oncologist in Kolkata suggests some diagnostic tests.
- Imaging studies: The doctor can find out cancerous areas in the lung tissue with the help of positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) scans. It is also possible through bone scans.
- A sampling of the tissue: When an imaging study shows the presence of a suspicious lesion, the doctor may send a tissue sample from the lung for testing.
- Lab testing: Checking its presence is possible by testing blood or sputum in the laboratory.
Treatment Of Lung Cancer
The treatment options are:
- Surgery:
The surgeon removes tissue in the surrounding area along with the cancerous lung tissue. You can avail the best cancer surgery service in Kolkata. There may be the necessity of removing the complete lung in severe cases.
- Chemotherapy:
The doctor shrinks or eradicates cancer cells with the help of drugs in chemotherapy. The cells that divide rapidly are the main target of these medications.
- Radiation therapy:
High-energy rays kill cancer cells in this procedure. Before surgically removing a tumour, the doctor often uses this therapy to shrink it.
- Targeted therapy:
A specific behaviour in cancer cells is the target in this therapy, which uses some particular medications.