A Basic Introduction to Lung Cancer
When it comes to cancer, many people will think of lung cancer for the first time, why? What is it about lung cancer that makes people so afraid of it?
First of all, lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors, which can cause great harm to people's health. According to statistics, there are about 13.5 million new cancer cases in the world every year, of which the mortality rate is as high as 77%, such a high mortality rate is far more than some cancers, becoming one of the highest mortality of cancers.
Secondly, lung cancer spreads faster than other cancers. It is usually caused by abnormal proliferation of lung cells, resulting in impaired lung function, but its early symptoms are not obvious, generally in the late stage, cough, coughing blood, breathing difficulties, and other symptoms. Due to its rapid spread, often when people find themselves unwell and go to the hospital for examination, have reached the advanced stage of lung cancer, cancer cells have a great possibility to transfer to the bone, liver, brain, and other organs, causing a series of secondary diseases, which undoubtedly brings great difficulties to the treatment of lung cancer.
Finally, lung cancer itself is difficult to treat. Because lung cancer has a strong tolerance to traditional treatment methods, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, even if it can be treated, the effect is not satisfactory, and there is a great possibility of recurrence or metastasis in the later stage. For such a terrible lung cancer, scientists are also actively researching effective treatments, and all we can do is try our best to prevent it. This article will also introduce the latest treatments for lung cancer and some basic prevention methods.
Treatment for lung cancer
The treatment of lung cancer mainly includes the following methods. The first is radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat generated by a high-frequency electric current to destroy tumor cells. This method is especially suitable for patients with early-stage lung cancer and those who are not candidates for surgery. Then there is immunotherapy, which has been found to improve the body's ability to attack cancer cells by using immune checkpoint inhibitors such as PD-1 or PD-L1 antibodies (opuisamide, iptinib) to activate the body's own immune system with these antibodies. Gene therapy can also be used, through gene editing tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9, to modify specific genes of patients, in order to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer cells.
At present, researchers are studying the use of CAR T cell therapy to improve the ability of the cellular immune system to attack tumors. Of course, these methods are of great help for patients with early-stage lung cancer, which can prevent it from developing to advanced stages or further spread. For patients with advanced stage or who have had the tumor completely removed, targeted therapy can be used. The principle is to analyze molecular changes in tumor cells to find activation gene mutations or abnormal expression of proteins so that targeted drug therapies can be designed. For example, EGFR inhibitors, such as Gefitinib or Erlotinib, can be used in patients with EGFR mutations.
In the field of adjuvant targeted therapy, the latest ADAURA study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ositinib in patients with stage Ⅰ to Ⅲ EGFR mutation-positive (Ex19del or L858R) NSCLC who completed adjuvant chemotherapy after complete resection, compared with placebo. Until disease recurrence is observed, the experimental regimen is completed (three years), or criteria for discontinuation are met. After the study and evaluation, it was concluded that the benefit of ositinib adjuvant therapy was generally consistent in all subgroups, regardless of whether patients had received adjuvant chemotherapy, it did not affect the OS benefit of ositinib therapy. It was concluded that there was a significant overall survival benefit of ositinib adjuvant therapy in patients with EGFR stage ⅠB to ⅢA NSCLC after complete resection. This study undoubtedly provides a new method and possibility for the treatment of lung cancer, and will also improve the treatment effect and cure rate of lung cancer, and reduce the mortality of lung cancer patients.
Prevention is more important
Although the treatment of lung cancer continues to improve, in the end, it is up to us to prevent it. In order to prevent the occurrence of lung cancer, we should first not smoke, and avoid second-hand smoke, because smoking is one of the main causes of lung cancer, smoking cessation can significantly reduce the risk of cancer. It is also necessary to avoid frequent exposure to harmful particles, toxic gases, and carcinogens, avoid inhaling coal dust, industrial exhaust, etc., and avoid contact with chemical substances such as asbestos, chromium, nickel, and so on. Paying attention to indoor air quality in life, often opening the window ventilation, healthy diet and exercise, regular physical examination and other routine methods are our effective means to prevent lung cancer.
Of course, if there is a family or high-risk population, you can use liquid biopsy and other screening methods, which use circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood or urine samples for early detection of tumors, disease monitoring, this method can not only screen for disease risk but also provide real-time molecular information. It has great contribution to the early treatment and prevention of lung cancer.
Confident in the cure of lung cancer
In the end, lung cancer is not as terrible as we remember, as if there is no way to get sick. Nowadays, continuous technological advances and continuous medical research have greatly improved the possibility of curing lung cancer. As long as we pay attention to our physical health, avoid bad habits, and face it with a positive attitude. Lung cancer is far less terrible than we think.
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