World Lung Cancer Day: Raising Awareness and Support for Lung Health

Lung cancer is a type of disease that occurs in the human lungs when the cancer cells start forming in the lung. These cells mutate themselves and spread to other parts of the lung which creates problems for an individual like breathing, chest pain, coughing up blood etc. World Lung Cancer Day is observed on the 1st day of August every year worldwide. This is observed every year to raise awareness among the people  to take preventive measures and in case there are any symptoms of lung cancer that they may have, to then get proper check up done  immediately.

Data about lung cancer that were released in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), include the following:

Total existing cases of lung cancer in both males and females in Asia [1]

Total existing cases of lung cancer in both males and females in the Continent:[2]

Total existing cases of lung cancer in both males and females in India:[3]

Estimates of new cases of lung cancer from 2022-30 in Asia are:[4]

Types of Lung Cancer

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

This is the most common lung cancer found in 80% of the cases of lung cancer. This non-small cell lung cancer grows and spreads to other parts of the lung more slowly than small cells. In NSCLC three types of cancer are found: Adenocarcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma, and Large cell carcinoma.

Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

These small-cell lung cancers are found in very few patients but they grow and spread to the lungs very fast in comparison to non-small-cell lung cancer. In most cases, cancer has already spread beyond the lung by the time of diagnosis.

Causes of Lung Cancer

The main causes of lung cancer are:

• Smoking Tobacco
• Second-hand Smoking (passive)
• Contact with Radioactive Gases
• Hazardous Chemicals
• Air Pollution

Symptoms

There are certain symptoms from which you can detect lung cancer. These symptoms are: 

• Chest pain and discomfort in the chest
• Shortness of breath
• A cough that does not go away or get worse over time
• Blood coming in cough
• Drastic weight loss
• Tiredness

Misconceptions Around Lung Cancer

There is a misconception that lung cancer is only found in people who smoke tobacco but this is a myth. There are cases of lung cancer found in people who have never smoked tobacco but they are suffering from it. Lung cancer is a type of disease that can occur in a person who is in contact with the smoke of tobacco which is called passive smoking in other words.

Diagnoses 

Lung cancer can be diagnosed through various tests and multiple processes. To diagnose lung cancer you first have to visit your doctor and tell them the symptoms you are facing. Then they will check your heartbeat and breath with the use of a stethoscope. You have to speak the truth to your doctor about your daily lifestyle including your eating habits, smoking or not, travelling information, and whether you are in contact with hazardous chemicals or not.

If they find the suspects of lung cancer in you then they will prescribe certain tests like CT scan and Biopsy. After that, some tests will be done to determine whether the cancer has spread to other parts or not.

Treatment

To treat lung cancer there are different kinds of treatment available according to the stage and type of lung cancer. There are basically 4 treatments that function in the medical field of cancer and they are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.

Surgery

The very first part of treatment is surgery in which the initial stage of cancer is treated through surgery. Surgery is of different types and this surgery depends on the type and size of tumour that is there in the lung. Doctors examine many things before doing surgery to reduce complications for the patient during and after operations.

Radiation Therapy

In this treatment, high-energy radiation is used to kill the cancer cells and shrink the tumour available in the lung in the form of cancer. This treatment is also used with chemotherapy to cure lung cancer. This treatment is painless and it doesn't take a lot of time.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a kind of therapy which is given to lung cancer patients to kill the cells of cancer that are available in the body. In this therapy, It is injected into a patient's veins in liquid form, where it finds and destroys tumors throughout the body.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is the same as chemotherapy, this is also used for killing the tumour by searching in the body of the patient. There are particular drugs that are used for specific cells and other cells that are growing in the nearby area.

Preventions of Lung Cancer

To prevent lung cancer or stay away from it there are prevention you can take to secure your lungs and stay healthy by taking these precautions:

• Stop smoking
• Stay away from the smoke area 
• Do not go to the radioactive areas
• Take a clean and healthy diet
• Do physical activities and exercise regularly

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Conclusion

Lung cancer is a type of disease that increases problems in the human lung when cancer cells form in it and start spreading to other parts of the lungs. World Lung Cancer Day is observed on the 1st of August every year to spread awareness for lung cancer globally. This will help people to get diagnosed with lung cancer and they will know the type of lung cancer like NSCLC and SCLC. Causes, symptoms and misconceptions are explained which will help to get clear knowledge about lung cancer. How lung cancer is diagnosed and treated is explained by stating the prevention that one should take to keep themselves away from lung cancer.