Symptoms and treatment of lung cancer

Symptoms and treatment of lung cancer

In the early stages, lung cancer does not cause any symptoms. The symptoms will only appear when the development of cancer has reached a certain stage. Here are the main symptoms that will be experienced lung cancer patients, including:

1. The cough is sustained and worsens, until it ends up coughing up blood.
2. Experiencing shortness of breath and pain in the chest.
3. Experiencing fatigue for no reason.
4. Swelling of the face or neck.
5. Headache.
6. Bone pain, can be on the shoulders, arms or hands.
7. Weight loss.
8. Loss of appetite.
9. The voice becomes husky.
10. Difficulty swallowing or pain when swallowing something.
11. Changes in the shape of the finger, ie the fingertips become convex.
12. Immediately see a doctor or go to the clinic to confirm the diagnosis of the symptoms experienced.

Causes of Lung Cancer

The main cause of lung cancer is smoking, both in active smokers and in passive smokers. But people who do not smoke or exposed to cigarette smoke also can suffer from lung cancer. Some of the causes of lung cancer will be described further below.

Active Smokers and Passive Smokers

Approximately 80-90 percent of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking habits. So active smokers become the most risk group. Cigarette smoke is inhaled, containing more than 60 toxic substances that can trigger the development of cancer. These toxic substances are known as carcinogenic. For example nicotine used in insecticides and tar used in the manufacture of road asphalt.

Symptoms and treatment of lung cancer

Initially, this damage can be repaired by the body. But the repetition and sustainability of smoking causes damage to the lung tissue continues to grow. Damage is what causes the cells to react abnormally until finally emerged cancer cells.

Currently, more than 60 million people in one country are active smokers. This number continues to grow from year to year. America ranks third in the countries with the highest active smokers, behind China and India.

In addition to tobacco, marijuana also contains substances that can trigger cancer. Tobacco is often mixed with cannabis. Although the quantity of tobacco mixed with cannabis is less than that of cigarettes, the cannabis smokers suck deeper and longer. The effects of tobacco sucking mixed with marijuana are much worse than smoking regular tobacco cigarettes.

Passive smokers are people exposed to cigarette smoke but do not smoke directly. Although not smoking directly, passive smokers remain at risk for lung cancer. The risk of passive smokers exposed to lung cancer increases at least 20 percent compared to people who are not exposed to cigarette smoke exposure.

Air pollution

According to WHO data, Southeast Asia is in second place as a contributor to the poor air pollution in the world. The risk of developing lung cancer will increase if we are exposed to air pollution exposure for example from vehicle fumes or factory smoke. About one in 100 deaths from lung cancer are caused by high levels of pollution. Inhaling exhaust fumes from vehicles and factories can have the same impact as passive smoking.

Workplace Exposure

Some jobs have a likelihood of being associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Employees exposed to some chemical compounds that are carcinogenic, such as asbestos, nickel, coal, silica, and arsenic have a higher risk of developing lung cancer.

Radiation Exposure

Radon is part of the air we breathe. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. This gas comes from rocks and soils in very small quantities.

This radon gas can move through the soil. This gas will enter into the house through foundation cracks, pipes, drains or other open pits. This gas can be tested with simple testing tools, because radon gas is invisible and odorless. If inhaled, radon gas can damage the lungs, especially for a smoker.

How is lung cancer diagnosed and treated

Lung Cancer Diagnosed And Treated

Lung cancer is a medical condition that attacks the respiratory or lung system, characterized by the growth of uncontrolled abnormal cells in the lung tissue.

If not treated and treated properly, the growth of this cancer cell will spread to the external organs of the lungs through a process called metastasis to nearby tissues or other body parts.

How is lung cancer diagnosed and treated

A common cause of lung cancer is exposure to tobacco smoke or cigarettes for long periods of time, which causes about 80-90% of lung cancer incidence. Other lung-promoting factors, such as genetic factors, radon gas, asbestos and air pollution, include passive smoke.

1. Symptoms or Characteristics of Lung Cancer
2. A persistent and worsening cough.
3. Cough accompanied by red sputum.
4. The pain in the chest that never goes away.
5. Shortness of breath, wheezing, hoarse and raspy voice.
6. Have great fatigue.
7. There is swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck.
8. Drastic weight loss.

Lung cancer is a condition in which cells grow uncontrollably inside the lungs (an organ that works to spread oxygen into the blood when breathing in and exhaling carbon dioxide when sighing). Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer.

However, lung cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. This condition is mostly suffered by active and passive smokers. In the early stages, there are no obvious signs or symptoms of lung cancer. But then symptoms such as a sustained cough to the coughing up of blood, always feeling out of breath, exhaustion for no reason, and weight loss will appear.

Types of Lung Cancer Existing

There are two types of primary lung cancer based on the cell type, namely small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Non-small cell lung cancer is four times more likely than small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) usually affects only heavy smokers and spreads faster than non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

People at Risk of Lung Cancer

Smoking can be said to be the main cause of lung cancer. People most at risk for lung cancer are active smokers. About 85 percent of lung cancers are associated with smoking habits. Even so, it does not mean every smoker will get lung cancer. In addition, people who do not smoke are also likely to develop lung cancer, although lower in number.

In addition to cigarettes, some other causes of lung cancer are inhalation of arsenic, radiation, and air pollution. Lung cancer is also more common in elderly people.

Treatment In Lung Cancer

There are several factors that influence the method of treatment and treatment performed to overcome lung cancer are:

1. How severe the spread of cancer.
2. Patient health condition.
3. The type of cancer suffered.

Cancer removal surgery can be performed if cancer cells have not spread widely to other parts of the body. If health conditions do not allow for surgical removal, other treatments may be applied. The process of destruction of cancer cells by way of radiotherapy can be run.

Lung cancer generally does not cause symptoms before the cancer cells spread to large parts of the lungs or to other body parts. Healing depends on the spread of cancer and when the diagnosis of cancer is known. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the possibility of treatment to succeed also becomes higher.

How is lung cancer treated in Europe?

Roche today announced that the European Committee of Human Drug Products (CHMP) issued a positive recommendation for the first use of Avastin in the treatment of the most common form of lung cancer, along with platinum-based chemotherapy. This CHMP decision is based on data from a major US study (E4599) and another Avastin study in the lungs (Avail) stage III which equally demonstrates that Avastin is potent along with a wide range of chemotherapy.

lung cancer viruses

Lung cancer results in more than 3,000 deaths per day worldwide (1) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common form of the disease that accounts for more than 80 percent of all lung cancers. (2) Avastin is the only treatment first in more than a decade that has been proven to prolong the life of people with advanced lung cancer in which patients usually have an average life expectancy of only 8 to 10 months.

"This is an important day for doctors and patients because it facilitates Avastin, with its proven ability to prolong the life of a very difficult disease to treat, one step ahead of reality," says Professor Christian Mane gold, Heidelberg University Medical Sciences Professor Medical University, Mannheim, Germany as well as Head of Researcher Avail study. "I believe that Avastin is an innovative drug that will not only change the current standard of NSCLC treatment, but it will also improve our expectations of cure."

Avastin is the first and only anti-antigenic drug that has been shown to keep improving overall and / or free survival of colorectal, lung, breast, and kidney disease diseases.

"This CHMP opinion is good news for Europeans who have a malignant and crippling disease," said William M. Burns, Chief Executive Officer of the Roche Drug Division. "With the development of our Avastin program - which is the largest trial program in oncology - we will continue to develop the best possible treatment approach to improve survival and improve the quality of life of cancer survivors."

In Europe, Avastin was approved as the first treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in January 2005 and in the US in February 2004. He obtained approval again in the US in June 2006 as the second treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer patients. In October 2006, following a preliminary review, the world's first angiogenesis inhibitors were approved by the FDA for the treatment of NSCLC. More recently in April 2007, Avastin was approved in Europe for the first treatment of women with metastatic breast cancer and in Japan for use in advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer.

About the Phase III study that forms part of the data packet submitted to CHMP

E4599 Review

Results of a randomized, multicentre controlled E4599 stage III study of 878 patients with locally advanced, metastatic or recurrent latex non-small (NSCLC) lung cancer, with histology other than scaled cells more prominent, suggesting that the average survival of treated patients with Avastin at a dose of 15 mg / kg every three weeks plus chemotherapy duration of 12.3 months, compared with 10.3 months for patients treated with chemotherapy alone. Patients who received Avastin at a dose of 15mg.kg every three weeks plus paclitaxel and carboplatin increased overall survival by 25 percent, compared with patients who received chemotherapy alone. Side effects can usually be controlled. Cases of pulmonary haemoptysis appear in 2.3 percent of patients receiving Avastin plus chemotherapy. The most common adverse side effects of Avastin's single treatment are: hypertension (5.6 percent), proteinuria (4.2 percent), fatigue (5.1 percent) and dyspnoea (5.6 percent). (3)

Avail review

In a randomized, controlled Avail study of results of unknown subjects and objects, patients were given Avastin treatment at 7.5 mg / kg or 15 mg / kg + cisplatin / gemcitabine or placebo + cisplatin / gemcitabine. This study involved more than 1,000 people worldwide who had previously untreated NSCLC, with histology apart from more prominent scaly cells. The results showed that by adding Avastin to cisplatin / gemcitabine administration, progression-free survival was significantly extended by 20 to 30 percent compared with chemotherapy alone. No apparent adverse or novel adverse effects.