The lungs are two organs positioned within the chest cavity that are in charge of gas exchange during breathing. Cancer develops when cells lose control of their cell division cycle and begin to multiply in an uncontrolled manner, resulting in tumors in the lungs. Lung cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer since it starts in the tissues of the organ and spreads to the entire organ.
Smokers are at a higher risk of acquiring cancer because the cigarette smoke they inhale contains a high amount of carcinogens, which are compounds that induce DNA damage in cells, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation. However, non-smoking-related lung cancer incidence in women have been on the rise in recent years. As a result, a lung cancer specialist in Singapore recommends an annual lung cancer screening to obtain a thorough picture of your lungs and provide you with information about your respiratory health.
Lungs Cancer Symptoms
Unfortunately, there are few indications and symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Symptoms will only develop until the disease has progressed to its latter stages, according to a lung cancer specialist in Singapore.
Some signs and symptoms of lung cancer:
- Breathing problems
- Pain in the chest
- Hoarseness
- Weight loss without effort
- Bone ache
- Headache
When should you see a doctor?
When you observe any signs and symptoms that are similar to those listed above, you should seek the advice of a lung expert in Singapore right away. These lung cancer specialists would also be able to provide guided strategies, such as counselling, medication, and non-cigarette alternatives, to those who are unable to quit smoking.
Causes
Cigarette smoke, as previously stated, contains carcinogens that cause cell damage. This lung tissue damage can happen very quickly. The body has “fail-safes” in place to prevent renegade cells from causing damage and to repair the damage. The cumulative effect of the damage, on the other hand, may be too great for the body to bear over time, leading to lung cancer.
Types of Lung Cancer
Lung surgeon Singapore feels that lung cancer can be split into two groups based on tests and examination of lung cells under a microscope:
Small Cell Lung Cancer
Heavy smokers are more likely to get small cell lung cancer.
Non- Small Cell Lung Cancer
Doctors refer to the other types of lung cancer as non-small cell lung cancer, which includes squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell carcinoma.
Risk Factors
To avoid developing this, some lifestyle decisions can be made. Other elements, such as family history and genetics, are, nevertheless, uncontrollable.
Lung Cancer Risk Factors include:
- Lung cancer is caused by smoking. Its cumulative effect, along with nicotine’s addictive characteristics, makes quitting difficult. Quitting smoking, on the other hand, reduces the risk of developing the condition greatly.
- Secondhand smoke exposure raises the risk of lung cancer because it exposes you to the same sorts of carcinogens.
- Radiation therapy used to treat other types of cancer or in the lungs has been shown to raise the risk of lung cancer by damaging the DNA of the cells.
- Radon gas is formed naturally in the earth, rock, and water around us, and we are exposed to it. At high concentrations, however, this becomes poisonous.
- Inhalation of asbestos and other toxins in the job or at home.
- Because the gene coding for abnormal cell growth can be passed down from generation to generation, a family history of lung cancer can potentially offer a danger.
Complications
Complications from lung cancer include:
- Cancer patients may experience shortness of breath as tumors grow and clog key airways. The tissue damage can lead to the leakage and accumulation of interstitial fluid (pleural effusion), which inhibits the lung from fully expanding when inhaling.
- Damage to the lung tissues can cause blood to be coughed up (hemoptysis). There is a risk of death if the bleeding gets serious.
- Pain can occur in the lungs as well as other parts of the body where cancer has progressed, such as the bones.
Treatment
Surgery
Your lung cancer specialist surgeon will remove lung cancer as well as a margin of healthy tissue during surgery. The following procedures can be used to eliminate lung cancer:
- Resection of a Wedge
- Resection of Segments
- Pneumonectomy
- Lobectomy
Radiation Therapy
This type of treatment uses X-rays and protons to create intense beams of energy that are carefully guided to the cancer cells’ locations to kill them. For patients with cancer that hasn’t progressed to the rest of the body, this could be utilized before surgery.
Where can I find a lung cancer specialist in Singapore?
Lung cancer requires effective treatment to prevent it from spreading throughout the body. This is something that a lung cancer specialist in Singapore may help you with. A doctor should be consulted, and questions about the entire lung cancer removal procedure should be asked. In any case, lung specialist Singapore would have the appropriate equipment and skills to assess your health.