How Much Do You Know About Lung Cancer?

1. What is the incidence of lung cancer?

According to the latest data from the World Health Organization, the incidence rate of lung cancer in my country exceeds 40/100,000, which means that more than 40 people out of every 100,000 people suffer from lung cancer, and most of them are men over 40 years old.

2. What are the high-risk factors for lung cancer?

(1) Smoking: Smoking is one of the main causes of lung cancer that the medical community has confirmed.

(2) Passive inhalation of second-hand and third-hand smoke: Studies have shown that if one spouse smokes, the other spouse is more than 200% more likely to get lung cancer than the general population. Inhaling second-hand smoke is harmful. Moreover, compared with inhaled smoke, the smoke emitted after a cigarette is lit contains higher levels of some carcinogens, so passive smoking inhales more harmful substances than active smoking.

(3) Neglected kitchen fumes: Fumes often contain a large number of inhalable particles and toxic and harmful substances. The main component of fumes is acrolein, which can cause people to feel loss of appetite, dry throat, swollen eyes, dizziness, chest tightness, etc., which is medically known as "fume syndrome". For women who are busy in the kitchen or people who are engaged in the profession of chef, their incidence of tracheitis, pneumonia, and emphysema is higher, and the risk of lung cancer is also higher than that of other people.

(4) Polluted air: Polluted air includes not only smog, but also harmful substances such as formaldehyde brought by indoor decoration. People who are exposed to poor air quality for a long time have a higher incidence of lung cancer than ordinary people.

(5) Special occupations: People in some special occupations are exposed to asbestos, arsenic, chromium, nickel, uranium, radium, ionizing radiation and microwave radiation for a long time. These substances can also increase the incidence of lung cancer.

(6) Genetics: There is a familial clustering phenomenon among lung cancer patients, and genetic factors may also play a certain role.

3. Which symptoms should alert us to the occurrence of lung cancer?

(1) Unexplained dry cough: Dry cough is one of the early symptoms of lung cancer and is also a relatively obvious symptom of lung cancer. Generally speaking, if a dry cough occurs for a long time and the drug treatment is not effective, it must be given enough attention, as it may be a precursor to lung cancer.

(2) Blood in sputum: If there is blood when you cough, even if it is a slight trace of blood, you should pay attention to it. It may be tuberculosis or it may be a precursor to lung cancer. You must go to a regular hospital for relevant examinations.

(3) Dyspnea: As the tumor grows, it often puts pressure on the respiratory tract and other parts of the body. In severe cases, the respiratory tract may be blocked. In this case, the patient will have obvious symptoms of dyspnea.

(4) Peripheral early symptoms: Patients may also experience chest tightness, significant weight loss, hoarseness, and some patients may experience difficulty swallowing. These symptoms are generally not obvious in the early stages and patients often ignore them. Therefore, everyone should pay more attention to their health and seek medical attention in a timely manner if any abnormalities are found.

(5) Shoulder pain: When talking about shoulder pain, most people will think of frozen shoulder, but in fact it can also be a precursor to lung cancer. On the one hand, if the tumor grows relatively high, it will pull on the pleura and cause shoulder pain; on the other hand, it may be that cancer cells have metastasized to the clavicle or neck, compressing the nerves and causing shoulder pain.

4. How to prevent oral mucositis after radiotherapy and chemotherapy for lung cancer?

(1) Choose to rinse your mouth with normal saline or sodium bicarbonate water, and avoid using mouthwash containing alcohol to avoid irritating the oral mucosa; rinse your mouth several times a day and rinse your mouth immediately after eating.

(2) Keep your mouth moist. You can use a humidifier indoors to increase the air humidity to about 60%.

(3) Starting from 5 minutes before taking chemotherapy drugs, you can hold ice chips in your mouth for 30 minutes, but be careful to avoid frostbite of the oral mucosa.

(4) Avoid eating foods that are too cold or too hot, rough, sharp, spicy, or acidic to prevent irritation and damage to the oral mucosa and aggravate inflammation.

5. What should I eat during radiotherapy and chemotherapy for lung cancer?

(1) Experts recommend that during chemotherapy, the diet should pay attention to "three highs and one more", that is, high protein, high calories, high vitamins, and sufficient water. Nutrition needs to be increased 1-2 weeks before chemotherapy so that the body has a certain amount of nutritional reserves. You should eat more lean meat, chicken, duck, eggs, milk, aquatic products (fish), soy products, rice, noodles, whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, etc., which are high in protein (increase by 50%), high in calories (increase by 20%, and no increase for obese people), and high in vitamins.

(2) During chemotherapy and radiotherapy, patients may experience nausea, vomiting, dysphagia, diarrhea or constipation, which can easily lead to dehydration and loss of appetite. The dietary principle of "eating small meals frequently" should be followed. Steaming, boiling, and stewing are the best cooking methods. In particular, porridge, vegetable soup, soy milk, fruit and vegetable juice, etc. should be added to replenish sufficient water. In addition to the water in food, an additional 2000 mL of water is required every day, and boiled water, tea, etc. can be used.

(3) If the patient's body mass index decreases significantly, high-energy nutritional supplements can be taken orally; if the patient's daily nutritional needs cannot be met, specific nutritional supplements rich in minerals or trace elements can be used. For patients who are already malnourished, it is recommended that they supplement with some special medical formula foods (enteral nutrition preparations), such as complete nutrients, homogenized meals, etc., under the guidance of a nutritionist, which will help to improve their nutritional status more quickly.