Hanoi After a week of chest pain and coughing, a 62-year-old man went to the doctor and was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer.
The patient had been smoking for the past 20 years, averaging two packs per day. A CT scan at Medlatec General Hospital revealed a nodule measuring 12 x 13 mm in the upper lobe of the left lung, with constriction of the surrounding lung parenchyma. In addition, there were many large lymph nodes around the mediastinum and an abnormal mass in the left adrenal gland measuring 3.7 x 4.3 cm.
Biopsy results of the lung and adrenal masses and tumor marker tests both determined that the patient had stage IV lung cancer with metastasis to the adrenal glands and mediastinal lymph nodes.
On May 30, Dr. Pham Son Tung, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medlatec General Hospital, said that patients who smoke for many years are the leading cause of lung cancer. This disease is considered a "silent killer" because symptoms usually appear in the final stages of the disease.
According to the Global Cancer Organization (Globocan), in 2020, Vietnam recorded more than 26,000 cases of lung cancer, more than 23,000 deaths and 90% of patients had a history of smoking.
Cigarette smoke contains about 7,000 toxic substances, of which 80 are capable of causing cancer, typically benzopyrene, nitrosamine, cadmium, nickel... These substances penetrate the lungs, causing cells to divide abnormally and develop into cancer cells.
"Active smoking or passive inhalation of cigarette smoke can cause lung cancer," said Dr. Son, adding that the risk of lung cancer in smokers is 10 times higher than in non-smokers. The longer you smoke, the higher the risk of getting the disease.
CT scan shows a mass (white spot circled in red) in the patient's upper left lung lobe. Photo: Provided by the hospital
Lung cancer detected early can be cured. If detected late (in stage III, IV), the 5-year survival rate is only about 5%. In Vietnam, this is a disease with a high mortality rate because it is often detected late due to its silent, silent progression. Therefore, proactive screening for early detection is a prerequisite to winning the fight against cancer.
Doctors recommend proactively screening for lung cancer annually, even before symptoms appear, especially for people aged 50-80; currently smoking or quitting smoking within 15 years; regularly inhaling cigarette smoke; having a family member with lung cancer or a history of exposure to Radon gas (a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can be found in the environment, homes, schools, and workplaces).
Le Nga
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