Lung cancer often develops symptoms too late.

Lung cancer, when symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, and back pain appear, is usually in a late stage, and most patients discover it incidentally during routine health checkups.

"The majority of lung cancer patients are currently diagnosed at a late stage, resulting in a high mortality rate, the highest among all types of cancer," said Dr. Nguyen Hoang Binh, Head of the Thoracic Surgery Department at Cho Ray Hospital, at the Hoan My Saigon Hospital Scientific Conference on October 21st.

According to statistics from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (Globocan) in 2020, lung cancer ranks second in terms of new cases globally for both sexes, after breast cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death, with nearly 1.8 million deaths each year. In Vietnam, lung cancer is the second leading cause of death after liver cancer.

According to Dr. Binh, cancer treatment today has made many advances. In particular, surgery has developed from open-chest lung resection to laparoscopic and robotic surgery, allowing patients to undergo surgery more comfortably, effectively removing the cancerous tumor while preserving lung function and reducing post-operative pain and complications. The results of early-stage surgery are increasingly better, helping to reduce mortality rates and gradually increasing survival times beyond five years.

In addition, science is constantly developing many new and highly effective drugs. Depending on the stage of the disease and the condition of each patient, doctors choose appropriate treatment methods such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, palliative care, etc.

Currently, Vietnam uses next-generation gene sequencing testing to identify gene mutations in each individual. From this, doctors can select appropriate medications for each type of gene mutation, leading to personalized and highly effective treatment.

Dr. Tran Dinh Thanh, Head of the Oncology Department at Hoan My Saigon Hospital, said that the rate of early detection of lung cancer is still low but is improving thanks to regular health check-ups and screenings for high-risk groups. Detecting and treating the disease in its early stages, before the tumor develops and metastasizes, results in a very high cure rate.

Doctors recommend early lung cancer screening for high-risk individuals, including those over 50 who have smoked a pack of cigarettes daily for more than 20 years, those over 50 who have quit smoking less than 15 years ago, those working in hazardous environments, mine workers, those with a history of tuberculosis, or those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)... This group is recommended to have a low-dose CT scan every two years. If suspicious lesions are found on the CT scan, the doctor will advise and schedule a follow-up appointment depending on the individual case.

Normal individuals should have annual health checkups, regular chest X-rays, and consult a specialist when experiencing any unusual symptoms. Patients should adhere to treatment and avoid following folk remedies or delaying early treatment, which can lead to unfortunate consequences.

If you experience symptoms such as a persistent cough lasting more than a week, coughing up phlegm, or coughing up blood, you should go to the hospital for screening for lung diseases. In the early stages, lung cancer often shows no symptoms. When clinical symptoms such as coughing and chest pain appear, the disease has already progressed.

"The symptoms resemble respiratory illnesses, making them easily mistaken for the common cold or flu. By the time people seek medical attention, the disease is often in an advanced stage," Dr. Thanh said.

Lung cancer can be prevented by not smoking, avoiding secondhand smoke, exercising regularly, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and avoiding exposure to radiation and heavy metals. Workers in hazardous environments such as those involving chemicals or mining must implement effective personal protective equipment to avoid or minimize exposure to carcinogenic substances.

Le Phuong

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