Wahaha Chairman Zong Qinghou died of lung cancer. How many steps does it take for lung nodules to develop into lung cancer?

Recently, Wahaha officially released an obituary, announcing that Zong Qinghou, the founder and chairman of Wahaha Group, had passed away from lung cancer at the age of 79, which caused an uproar. The passing of this legendary entrepreneur also sounded a wake-up call for everyone, and once again aroused public attention to lung cancer.

When talking about lung cancer, many people will think of lung nodules, and they start to panic when lung nodules are found during physical examinations.

"What should I do? Is this lung cancer?"

Lung nodules ≠ lung cancer

What are lung nodules?

Pulmonary nodules are small lumps that appear in the lungs on images. They are generally less than 3 cm in diameter and are firmly "grabbed" in the "soil" of the lungs like small potatoes.

In addition to being caused by lung cancer, lung nodules may also be caused by long-term exposure to a polluted environment, long-term heavy smoking, tuberculosis, benign lung tumors or inflammation.

Are there any symptoms of lung nodules?

Whether a lung nodule has symptoms is related to its location of growth, and most lung nodules have no symptoms.

If it is close to the central bronchus or pleura, symptoms such as hemoptysis, cough, chest pain, and fever may occur. These symptoms may also occur in diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis and are not specific.

Therefore, lung nodules do not necessarily have symptoms, and symptoms are not necessarily caused by lung nodules. It is recommended to screen for lung nodules through low-dose spiral CT of the chest .

Why do some lung nodules develop into lung cancer?

Some lung nodules will turn into lung cancer, while others will not. This mainly depends on the nature of the lung nodules. Benign lung nodules will not turn into lung cancer; malignant lung nodules, if left untreated, will grow larger over time and develop into cancer.

Fortunately, more than 90% of lung nodules are benign , and only a few are malignant.

If left untreated, malignant lung nodules will go through the following four stages of developing into lung cancer (taking the most common lung adenocarcinoma as an example):

1. Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia

They are not tumors, but early changes in malignant cells, but they are still in a reversible stage.

2. Carcinoma in situ

Carcinoma in situ refers to cancer cells that are confined to the primary site and do not invade surrounding tissues. In 2021, the World Health Organization classified carcinoma in situ as a "glandular precursor lesion" and no longer belongs to the category of malignant tumors. Because lung carcinoma in situ has some characteristics of benign lesions. At this stage, regular follow-up CT and dynamic observation are key.

3. Microinvasive carcinoma

Lung cancer at this stage begins to show noticeable growth and size. The nodules may increase in size and exceed 1 cm. Although the tumor grows rapidly at this stage, it is still in the early stages and can be cured with timely surgery.

4. Invasive carcinoma

At this stage, it is more "tricky". Lung cancer begins to develop rapidly and may metastasize, spreading to other parts of the body through the blood and lymphatic system. Treatment becomes more complicated, and surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other treatment methods are generally used in combination according to the tumor stage and the patient's physical condition. It can be seen that if lung nodules are found during a physical examination , don't be afraid, you can follow up or receive treatment under the guidance of a doctor.