Lung cancer occurs when cancer cells in the lungs form and grow out of control. The result is damage to lung tissue and the lungs no longer function properly. If left undetected and untreated, cancer cells will spread to the lymph nodes or metastasize to other organs in the body, such as the brain, according to The Independent (UK).
Not only the elderly or smokers get lung cancer, but young people who do not smoke can also get the disease even though the risk is low.
In the early stages, lung cancer does not cause any symptoms. Symptoms usually only appear in the advanced stages. Statistics show that only about 15% of lung cancer patients detect the disease in the early stages. Therefore, understanding lung cancer correctly is very important to prevent and detect the disease early.
Below are common misconceptions about lung cancer.
Only old people get sick
Many lung cancers are diagnosed in older people. The average age of diagnosis is 70. However, this may simply reflect long-term exposure to tobacco, said John Costello, a pulmonologist at the Mayo Clinic.
In fact, there are still patients who get lung cancer at a very young age. Some people even discover the disease when they are just over 20 years old. Therefore, young people can still get lung cancer, although the risk may be much lower.
Lung cancer caused by smoking
Smoking increases your risk of lung cancer, but it is not the only cause. In fact, smoking causes most cases of lung cancer and is the biggest risk factor. But in fact, about 10% of lung cancer patients have never smoked.
Some people develop lung cancer due to genetics, exposure to chemicals like asbestos, radon gas, and secondhand smoke. However, these cases are still in the minority, Dr. Costello added.
Lung cancer is a condition in which cancer cells in the lungs form and grow out of control.
Lung cancer is death
Being diagnosed with lung cancer, while serious, does not mean death. If the cancer is only in the lungs, the patient's five-year survival rate is 60%. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the survival rate drops to 8%.
However, new lung cancer screening techniques, such as CT scans in people with a 50-year smoking history, can detect cancer early. These techniques will detect tumors when they are very small. Early treatment will increase the 5-year survival rate to 80-90%.
All lung cancers are the same
Lung cancer comes in many different types and grades. The two main types are non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.
When treating lung cancer, depending on each case, the stage of cancer and some other factors, the doctor will give the appropriate treatment. Studies show that with early stage cancer, the cure rate with surgery is 60-90% and with chemotherapy is 20%, according to The Independent.
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