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Lung cancer is currently the most common malignant tumor in the world. Annually, 1,6 million people are diagnosed with it, and 1,4 million patients die. In Europe, it accounts for 11,8 percent. malignant tumors and is responsible for 21 percent. deaths.
- Active smoking is considered to be the main determinant of lung cancer development
- The early stages of advancement (stages I and II) usually do not manifest themselves with any symptoms
- Lung cancer is diagnosed very late in Poland. Therefore, the number of deaths and new cases is practically the same
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Polish statistics also sound the alarm, unfortunately it is getting worse every year – emphasizes Krzysztof Patyra, MD, PhD, Deputy Medical Director, Head of the Radiotherapy Department of NU-MED Center for Diagnostics and Oncological Therapy in Zamość.
According to the 2011 National Cancer Registry, in Poland nearly 12 thousand people fell ill with lung cancer men and over 6 women. Over the past 30 years has been observed a four-fold increase in the incidence of lung cancer among women. The numbers of deaths and new cases are almost identical. In 2016, 47 percent. cases of lung cancer were detected at the stage of dissemination of the neoplastic process in distant organs, and 32 percent. in the so-called regional stage, which significantly worsens the prognosis – adds Dr. Patyra.
The incidence and mortality of lung cancer increases with age in both sexes, and in people over 65, this cancer accounts for approx. 50%. illnesses and deaths. One-year and five-year survival rates for both sexes in Poland are among the lowest in Europe.
Active smoking is considered to be the main determinant of lung cancer development.
Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of lung cancer
It is estimated that in Poland about 29 percent of people smoke. adults, i.e. nearly 9 million inhabitants. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), tobacco smoke contains approx. 7 various chemical compounds, of which several dozen are substances with a strong carcinogenic effect. The phenomenon of passive smoking is also a serious problem. According to WHO and the Ministry of Health data, the problem of passive smoking in the home environment affects 25% of people. inhabitants of our country – points out Dr. Patyra.
From 2002 epidemiological data concerning 1826 cases of patients previously exposed to passive inhalation of tobacco smoke, 128 died of lung cancer and 73 of chronic non-cancerous respiratory disease. 60 percent newly diagnosed cases of lung cancer are most often patients with advanced stage IIIA and IV neoplastic processes.
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Lung cancer symptoms
The early stages of advancement (stages I and II) usually do not manifest themselves with any symptoms.
The first symptoms related to the local development of the tumor are usually cough (45-75% of patients) dyspnoea (30-50% of patients) and pain (25-50% of patients). Hoarseness also appears, as well as the superior vena cava syndrome (clinically characterized by swelling of the face, neck, shoulders, widening of the jugular veins and shortness of breath).
Symptoms related to metastases to distant organs include: in the case of the central nervous system – headache and dizziness, nausea and vomiting, balance disorders, visual disturbances, paresis, seizures; for the liver – abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, jaundice; in the case of bones – pain and pathological fractures.
– It seems that the only way to fight lung cancer is through well-developed prophylaxis – emphasizes Dr. Patyra.
In order to improve the awareness of lung cancer among the Polish society and health care personnel in 2018-2023, the “National Program of Early Lung Cancer Detection using Low Dose Computed Tomography – a combination of secondary and primary prevention” was introduced. Patients between 50 and 74 years old are eligible for it. years of age, a heavy smoker (with tobacco consumption greater than or equal to 20 pack-years), exposed to harmful working conditions and genetically burdened with lung cancer in their immediate family (first degree kinship).
How is lung cancer treated?
The treatment of lung cancer itself includes surgery as well as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, molecularly targeted drugs, immunotherapy and combination methods.
Surgical treatment concerns patients in stage I and II, and some patients in stage IIIA. Most patients are ineligible for this approach because their disease is higher at diagnosis.
Treatment with radiotherapy may be radical or palliative and used depending on the stage of the neoplastic process and the general condition of the patient. In stages IIIA and IIIB, simultaneous radiochemotherapy should be used in patients with good prognostic factors.
In the case of advanced non-small cell lung cancer, systemic therapy and molecularly targeted therapy (targeted therapy) with the use of immunocompetent drugs (immunotherapy) are of key importance.
The choice of therapeutic treatment depends mainly on the advancement of the neoplastic process and the patient’s biological efficiency. Drug programs, combination therapy and immunotherapy are currently available in most oncology centers in Poland that deal with the treatment of lung cancer.
The pandemic has prevented cancer diagnosis
Currently, there is an increase in the number of patients with high-stage lung cancer at diagnosis. This state of affairs is the result of a two-year pandemic caused by the SARS-Cov-2 virus. This situation made it difficult for patients to access diagnostics, consultations with a primary care physician and a specialist, which significantly delayed the possibility of diagnosing the disease. The very profile of the oncological patient has also changed – in most cases, palliative therapy is the only treatment regimen offered at high stages of advancement.
Our overriding goal is therefore to return to the availability of preventive and diagnostic tests for all people with early symptoms of the disease, as well as for those groups of patients with the highest risk of developing lung cancer. Therefore, there is a need to undertake regular, planned, urgent actions to encourage preventive examinations and awareness of the dangers of smoking addiction in a broad group of society, from children and adolescents to adults still addicted to tobacco.
The diagnosis of neoplastic diseases is very important for the success of their treatment. You can find the cancer screening package at Medonet Market:
- M2PK mail-order test – diagnostics of colorectal cancer
- Prostate cancer – genetic test
- Genetic examination for breast and ovarian cancer – analysis of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes
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