Medical Science | Lung Cancer Awareness Month: Protecting Respiratory Health

"International Lung Cancer Awareness Month" is November of each year. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, there are more than 2 million new cases of lung cancer and more than 1.7 million deaths each year, ranking first among all malignant tumors. In China, lung cancer is also the "number one tumor" with high incidence and mortality.

Today we will have a plate

Lung cancer, this nasty little monster!

1

Understanding lung cancer

Lung cancer originates from the bronchial mucosal epithelium

Malignant tumor of glandular epithelium or alveolar epithelium

Lung cancer has the following characteristics:

Most lung cancer patients are already in the advanced stage when they are diagnosed

A typical " silent killer "

After surgery for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma

The survival rate is nearly 90%

2

High-risk groups

01 Smoking

Smoking pack-years ≥ 30, including former smokers with ≥ 30 pack-years but quit smoking for less than 15 years.

Pack-years = number of packs smoked per day (20 cigarettes per pack) x number of years of smoking

02 Passive smoking

Living or working with a smoker for ≥ 20 years

03 Suffering from lung disease

Have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

04 History of occupational exposure

Have a history of occupational exposure (asbestos, radon, cadmium, nickel, silicon, beryllium, chromium, soot and coal dust, etc.) for at least 1 year

05 A first-degree relative diagnosed with lung cancer

First-degree relatives include parents, children, or siblings

3

Prevention methods

To reduce the risk of lung cancer, we can take the following preventive measures:

01 Quit smoking

Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, and quitting smoking can greatly reduce the risk of lung cancer.

02 Avoid secondhand smoke

Even if you don’t smoke, long-term exposure to secondhand smoke can increase your risk of lung cancer

03 Healthy Diet

Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, and less high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar foods.

04 Regular physical examination

People with a family history or long-term smoking history should undergo regular lung examinations .

05 Pay attention to occupational protection

People who work with harmful substances such as dust and chemicals should pay attention to occupational protection and reduce the inhalation of harmful substances.

4

Screening recommendations

01

People at high risk of lung cancer should be screened once a year using low-dose spiral CT (LDCT).

02

If LDCT detects pulmonary nodules , it is recommended to go to a specialist hospital or consult a specialist doctor for follow-up or further examination according to the type of nodule (solid nodule, partially solid nodule, non-solid nodule or multiple nodules) and size.

03

Tumor markers (such as carcinoembryonic antigen, neuron-specific enolase, cytokeratin 19 fragment, etc.) are of reference value, but a negative result cannot rule out lung cancer.

04

Chest X-ray and PET-CT are not recommended as routine methods for lung cancer screening.

In addition, if someone in the family has cancer, the other first-degree relatives (brothers and sisters, parents and children) are listed as high-risk groups. These people should: ① Maintain a regular and healthy rhythm of life and avoid staying up late for a long time; ② Pay attention to regulating emotions and maintain an optimistic attitude; ③ Have regular physical examinations under the guidance of professional doctors.