Understanding lung cancer, the leading cancer in terms of morbidity and mortality in China

Cancer is the leading cause of death and a major barrier to life expectancy in every country in the world. According to WHO IARC, in 112 countries, cancer is the first or second leading cause of death (in people under 70 years of age).

01 Lung cancer seriously threatens the health of Chinese people

Data from the National Cancer Center in 2022 showed that there are approximately 828,100 new cases of lung cancer and approximately 657,000 deaths each year, ranking first among malignant tumors in my country in terms of the number of new cases and deaths.

The cause of lung cancer has not yet been fully understood. The main causative factors include smoking, air pollution, occupational exposure, ionizing radiation, previous chronic lung infection, heredity, gene mutation, etc.

02 What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer, full name primary bronchogenic carcinoma, is the most common primary malignant lung tumor originating from the trachea, bronchial mucosa or glands.

03 What are the clinical manifestations?

Early stage: Lung cancer has an insidious onset and most early stage lung cancers have no obvious symptoms. Most cases are discovered during thin-layer chest CT scans. Common symptoms include blood spots or blood streaks in sputum or intermittent hemoptysis of small amounts.

Middle and late stages: When lung cancer compresses or invades adjacent organs and tissues or metastasizes to distant sites, the following signs may occur:

1. Compression or invasion of the phrenic nerve, causing paralysis of the ipsilateral diaphragm;

2. Compression or invasion of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing vocal cord paralysis, choking, and hoarseness;

3. Compression of the superior vena cava, causing venous distension and even syncope;

4. Invasion of the pleura and chest wall, causing persistent severe chest pain;

5. Invasion of the mediastinum, compression of the esophagus, and dysphagia;

6. Invasion of the mediastinum and compression of organs or tissues located at the upper opening of the thorax, causing cervical sympathetic syndrome;

7. After lymph node metastasis, superficial lymph nodes may swell;

8. Produce endocrine substances and present non-metastatic systemic symptoms: such as osteoarthritis syndrome, Cushing syndrome, myasthenia gravis, male breast enlargement, multiple muscular neuralgia, etc.

04 How to detect, diagnose and treat early?

With the popularization and application of low-dose thin-slice CT scans of the chest, early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment of lung cancer are no longer a problem. The key is that everyone should first have a physical examination awareness. Just like regular maintenance of cars, our own bodies also need regular "maintenance". Everyone should have a comprehensive physical examination at least once a year, and a low-dose thin-slice CT scan of the chest should be routinely performed during the physical examination. Secondly, if you feel unwell, especially if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough or hemoptysis, you should go to a regular hospital in time to be alert to the occurrence of lung cancer.

The treatment effect of lung cancer is closely related to the early stage of discovery. Lung cancer discovered in the early stage can be cured through surgical resection or ablation therapy, and no chemotherapy or medication is required after surgery, and the treatment effect is good. However, lung cancer discovered in the middle and late stages requires not only surgical resection, but also a series of treatments such as chemotherapy and medication. Some patients even lose the opportunity for surgical resection, and the treatment effect is far worse than that of early lung cancer. Therefore, early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment of lung cancer are crucial.

05 How to reduce the incidence of lung cancer?

1. Quit smoking: Smoking is one of the main risk factors for the high incidence of lung cancer. Smoking causes harmful substances to accumulate in the lungs. The probability of smokers developing lung cancer is 15 to 30 times that of non-smokers. Quitting smoking can effectively reduce the incidence of lung cancer.

2. Improve physical fitness: Appropriate exercise can improve immune function, and people who stay physically active can reduce the risk of lung cancer by about 20%. Exercise is the lowest-cost method for cancer prevention and treatment.

3. Healthy diet: A balanced diet, healthy diet, and eating more green vegetables and fruits can play a certain role in preventing lung cancer.

4. Avoid other related risk factors: including exposure to radiation, air pollution, history of chronic lung disease, exposure to chemicals, etc.

5. Be careful to avoid indoor air pollution: such as passive smoking, open flame coal heating, exposure to oil smoke, etc.