“Lung cancer is a disease with a very high incidence worldwide. GLOBOCAN data in 2020 shows that there are more than 2.2 million new cases per year and 1.8 million deaths per year, in addition to many lives lost from this disease. Lung cancer is also one of the diseases that create a burden on public health, economy, and society.”
In order to make society more aware and understand about lung cancer. Cancer Network Foundation (Thai Cancer Society : TCS) organized an event Steps of Strength, small steps on the path of people with “lung cancer” which is supported by Takeda (Thailand) Company Limited Within the event, there was a discussion on the topic of general knowledge about lung cancer. Diagnosis and treatment process and misunderstandings about lung cancer This is to arm knowledge to patients and caregivers of lung cancer patients so that they can enter the treatment process in a timely and precise manner. The program is hosted by Mr. Sirinthip Khatiyakarn, President of the Cancer Network Foundation. and former cancer patients
Contents of this seminar Includes stories and important factors that result in lung cancer. One of them is the matter of “smoking” which is still the number one risk factor for lung cancer and other types of cancer. But in addition to smoking There are still other risk factors, such as secondhand smoking (Secondhand Smoke) that comes from exposure to cigarette smoke from the environment around you. or the factors of increasing age and cells in the body that deteriorate over time and may eventually mutate into cancer cells. Including exposure to carcinogens such as “radon gas” (Radon) or even inhaling PM 2.5 dust, which has recently been supported by data that may cause more lung cancer. For lung cancer Can be divided into 2 types: “Small Cell Lung Cancer” and “Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer” which are currently more common than small cell lung cancer.
For caution about lung cancer, it’s not just the symptoms of the disease. but also includes “Screening” as well. There are times when patients have just been diagnosed with blemishes or abnormalities in their lungs, but there is still confusion in the diagnosis process as to how lung cancer can be differentiated from tuberculosis. The correct answer is to consider on a case-by-case basis. Additional tests are required, such as a sputum test for tuberculosis, a biopsy, or a computerized tomography (CT) scan. Some lung cancer patients may not have symptoms but when they go for their annual check-up, they find lumps in their lungs. or lung symptoms such as coughing, tiredness, and lung x-rays showing multiple lumps The next step in the examination is a CT scan, which can provide more accurate information than a normal X-ray, such as the location of the lump. The most important step in diagnosing cancer is a biopsy to determine the type of lung cancer. This allows the doctor to create a treatment plan that is specific to each individual.
However, the biopsy may take several days depending on the complexity of each case. If you can tell what type of cancer you have immediately after the test, this will be the end of this process. But if it is necessary to separate the cancer cell type, it may take another 7-10 days to clearly identify the type. Then it will go into the inspection process. “Biomarkers” such as “cancer cell receptors” or “cancer cell mutations” that are most often tested in non-small cell lung cancer and take an average of about 2 weeks. If detected Cancer cell mutation The doctor will then be able to choose treatment that is specific to that type of cancer cell. such as targeted therapy. Therefore, doctors advise patients to wait until they have clear test results instead of treating with chemotherapy. (Chemotherapy) immediately for more effective treatment in patients with mild symptoms and can wait.
DoctorKulthida Maneenil, medical oncologist Said: “The first thing when starting to treat a patient is to diagnose a cancer biopsy. And equally important is the stage of the disease. In general, cancer has 4 stages, with stages 1 and 2 considered to be the initial stages. Lung cancer may be in the chest and has not spread anywhere. But when it enters stage 3, it may have spread to the lymph nodes in the middle of the chest. As for stage 4 lung cancer, it has spread to other organs such as the liver, brain, or bones. Therefore, it can be seen that the stage of the disease affects the decision to plan treatment. In addition to waiting for the biopsy results, there should also be a CT scan or X-ray image to assess the stage of the cancer and plan the correct treatment. If it’s the initial stage, we’ll start with surgery first, followed by adjuvant treatment with drugs, which are mainly 3 types: chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and immunotherapy. (Immunotherapy) which we have to look at for which patients each type of medicine is suitable.”
Another issue that patients must pay great attention to is nutrition. Always be aware of what is edible. What can’t be eaten? At present, there are no studies supporting that food can kill cancer cells. But there are food groups that help strengthen the body so it can go through the treatment process more easily, such as “proteins” that help repair cells in the body from the side effects of various medicines. Therefore, during cancer treatment Patients should eat clean, cooked food that includes all 5 food groups and emphasize protein. But you should avoid spicy or fermented foods that may cause diarrhea to the point where you cannot take the medicine.
sideMr. Sirinthip Khatiyakarn, President of the Cancer Network Foundation said, “Everyone has a chance of getting lung cancer. No matter what gender or how old Therefore, what we want to help campaign for is to make society aware of two things. We want to invite the general public to have regular health checkups to screen for any abnormalities in the lungs or not. And we want to say that having lung cancer can still have a good life Having cancer is not the same as dying. We would like to show an example through the group of lung cancer patients who are currently living that they can still live normal lives.”
Therefore, it is the source of the work. Steps of Strength, small steps on the path of people with “lung cancer” That arose from the intention of the Cancer Network Foundation to provide knowledge to patient groups. relatives and caregivers to deal with the disease correctly Including raising awareness of how important screening is to society. By people who are interested in good content About lung cancer, you can clickhere To watch live video reruns on the Thai Cancer Society : TCS Facebook page.
2023-09-29 10:33:00
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