The lowdown on lung cancer

This month is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and we are being reminded to be mindful of our health — taking in fresh air, avoiding exposure to polluted areas like where smoke-belching buses and jeepneys abound, and breathing in and breathing out properly.

I remember growing up in a house with a grandfather suffering from tuberculosis. We could hear him coughing hard and persistently. The windows in his room were closed we kids could not go near him lest we contract his disease. When we peeked in his room, we saw him shrunken and forlorn-looking, and when he motioned for us to be near him, we ran away. It was a terrible time for him to be bedridden, when in his younger days he was the picture of a good-looking Spanish mestizo, leaning on a cane in early afternoons, watching young girls passing by. Our mother and aunt took care of him the best way they could, but one day, he closed his eyes for good, and he was buried in the family section of the cemetery quietly. His was no simple tuberculosis case. It may have been lung cancer.

Things are better now for TB victims. Some myths about their being pariah have softened, windows in their room are open so they can breathe fresh air, and children may come near them, sing or dance to entertain them, and show they care for their sick lolo or lola.

This month, there is an international effort to raise awareness regarding lung cancer and provide support to patients and their loved ones. Below is some very good information on the subject, from country medical director of Roche (Philippines) Inc., Dr. Diana Edralin.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the Philippines. It develops when certain cells in the body multiply uncontrollably and invade other vital structures and organs. Just like other cancers, lung cancer has four stages, depending on how big it has grown and how distant it has spread to other parts of the body. For many patients with lung cancer, the disease is diagnosed when it is already at an advanced stage, when it has already spread or metastasized, making it more difficult to treat.

Dr. Edralin says the common symptoms of lung cancer include a persistent cough, shortness of breath or trouble breathing, bloody phlegm, and fatigue. Lung cancer usually does not show symptoms until the disease is in its later stages, making it important to familiarize ourselves with the risk factors.

No. 1 risk factor is smoking. Almost all cases of the aggressive type are diagnosed in smokers. Research has found that smoking has contributed to at least 80 percent of lung cancer cases. Smokers are 10 times more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer than non-smokers. Ex-smokers also permanently increase their chances of getting lung cancer, even after they quit. While smokers are at the greatest risk of lung cancer, exposure to second-hand smoke also increases the risk of lung cancer, even in non-smokers.

No. 2: The environment. Outdoor air pollution in big cities can increase the risk of lung cancer. Indoor air pollution can come from burning wood for heat or cooking with unrefined oils.

No. 3: Pulmonary diseases can also increase the risk of lung cancer. People infected with primary tuberculosis, or chronic bronchitis, are more likely to get lung cancer.

No. 4: Poor diet and lack of exercise play a role in contracting cancer, and people with low fitness levels are likely to get lung cancer.

According to Dr. Edralin awareness of the risk factors, as well as the signs and symptoms, can help identify the disease early, leading to better outcomes. The impactful thing one can do to reduce one’s risk of lung cancer is to avoid smoking. Non-smokers are least risk, but even someone that has been smoking for years can reduce their cancer risk by quitting. This also means trying to avoid secondhand smoke, by not hanging out in or near smoking areas, asking one’s friends and family not to smoke around him/her, or by stepping away when they do so.

The American Cancer Society recommends smokers aged 55 years and up to get screened for lung cancer once a year, even if they are not showing symptoms. This is because symptoms do not show up until the disease is in its advanced stages, and catching it early greatly increases the chances of successful treatment.

Dr. Edralin advises that if many of the risk factors apply to you, it is extremely important to consult a doctor and get tested. For these types of diseases, the saying, “Better late than never” is never applicable. The earliest detection, the better, but to maintain a healthy lifestyle is the best.

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