Even being next to smokers increases lung cancer risk

Lung cancer ranks first among deaths from cancer all over the world and in our country. Smokers account for 85% of lung cancer cases. While smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 10 years significantly increases the risk of disease, the number of passive smokers suffering from lung cancer is increasing day by day. Professor from Memorial Şişli Hospital Chest Diseases Department. Dr. Adnan Sayar gave information about lung cancer and its treatment.

Lung cancer is becoming more common among women

Although the annual rate of increase in lung cancer increases in developing countries, its incidence is decreasing in developed countries due to the understanding of the harm of cigarettes and the decrease in use. On the other hand, the increasing rate of smoking among women increased the annual rate of increase.

Smoking frequency is important

The amount of cigarettes smoked during the day has an important role in the rate of catching lung cancer. If a person smokes 20 cigarettes a day for 10 years, the risk of developing lung cancer increases significantly. Moreover, environmental exposure, that is, some radioactive and carcinogenic substances that we are exposed to from nature, and chemicals we are exposed to in modern urban life accelerate this process. 85% of lung cancers are associated with smoking. However, a rate of 15% is due to reasons other than smoking. In addition, genetic factors also play a very serious role.”

Don't say that my friend is drinking, not me

Passive smokers also have a significantly increased risk of developing lung cancer. For both smokers and passive smokers, the worst thing about smoking is that it does nothing right away; tobacco do harm after decades. Passive smokers in smoking houses also have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Children in those houses are also more likely to get lung infections. “

Know your pedigree to learn your risk

People with a family history of lung cancer are at very serious risk. The probability of encountering lung cancer increases 4-5 times in close relatives, especially in first-degree relatives such as mother and father, who have lung cancer. If these people smoke additionally, this will increase tens of times. Therefore, both smoking and these chemicals should be avoided as much as possible.”

Suspect a cough with phlegm

Firstly, if the person is over the age of 40, has a cough that does not go away for 15 days, produces sputum or has even once had bloody sputum, a specialist should be consulted. When a doctor is visited with all these complaints, first radiological examinations are performed for the diagnosis of lung cancer; then a film and tomography are taken. Afterwards, diagnostic procedures are performed; these are non-invasive methods that can be done daily, such as needle biopsies and bronchoscopy. After these methods are applied, the staging phase of the patient is started. After diagnosis, lung cancers are divided into small cell and non-small cell. Patients with small cell are usually candidates for oncological treatments, namely chemo-radiotherapies. But in a group of non-small cell patients, surgery comes to the fore. For the complete staging of the patient, brain MRI, PET imaging and, if possible, mediastinoscopy, endoscopic videothoracoscopic examinations in the chest cavity are performed. If the disease is detected as an early stage, at the end of all these examinations, it is a candidate for surgery. The status of being a candidate for surgery corresponds to only 15 percent of patients diagnosed with lung. This small group of 15% consists of patients who have been fully staged, have no lymph node involvement and distant spread, and whose tumor can be removed. The other group of patients are not operated due to the prevalence of the disease, poor general condition or insufficient respiratory capacity (cardiac performance).

Prepared by the Medical Editorial Board. Our health library contents have been prepared for informational purposes only and with the scientific content on the registration date. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis or treatment about your health, please consult your doctor or health institution.