Lung cancer. Immunooncology as hope for patients

Time is not insignificant in this disease. I am talking about lung cancer – it is still very late diagnosed in Poland. What’s more, it is diagnosed very often – as many as 23 are diagnosed each year. new cases. As if that were not enough, of all malignant neoplasms, lung cancer is the worst prognosis and the most deadly

Prognosis in lung cancer patients

It is estimated that lung cancer accounts for up to 80-90 percent. among cancer patients. Most diagnoses are observed in active smokers. Only 5 to 10 percent. the sick are people who have never smoked.

The flagship symptom reported by more than 80 percent. lung cancer patients are coughing. Smokers cough, so they don’t pay attention to it. However, a change in the nature of the cough, from dry to moist, from wet to dry, accompanied by pain, especially episodes of hemoptysis, i.e. the appearance of fresh blood in the sputumwhich the patient expires automatically is a signal. Informing that you need to see a doctor immediately and start diagnostics.

Treatment of lung cancer

The basic method that can lead to a permanent cure is surgery. Unfortunately, only patients in very low stages of clinical advancement – stage I or II, are eligible for this type of treatment. There are up to 15 percent of these patients in Poland.

In patients in stage III, if there are no extensive metastases, doctors offer patients radical treatment, consisting of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, either sequentially or simultaneously. 70 percent disease in cancer patients is so advanced that we can offer palliative treatment, or nothing.

Chemotherapy is a double-edged sword. It works not only on cancer cells, but also on the body’s own cells, cells that divide very quickly. For this reason Chemotherapy carries various types of risk of complications.

Lung cancer in Poland is still very late diagnosed. Why? First, there are no cancer early detection programs. Secondly, the low awareness of potential patients who do not pay attention to the symptoms, and if the symptoms appear, become bothersome, they are neglected. Thirdly – still too poor access to diagnostics.

Immunoncology in the treatment of lung cancer

Immunooncology seems to be the only hope for patients in advanced stages of the disease. These are drugs that cause the immune system, which has been blinded by the substances and factors secreted by the tumor, to start seeing cancer cells. As a result – it begins to give signals to the body. Eventually the cells divide and destroy cancer cells. These are not anti-cancer drugs, they are drugs that activate the patient’s own immune system.

It cannot be said that these drugs do not have side effects, but their percentage is very different from that of chemotherapy. Currently, there are two preparations on the market, both registered in the United States and in European Union countries. None of them is reimbursed by the National Health Fund.

The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website.

Leave a Reply