Is early detection of lung cancer possible?

General
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Scientists at UCL and Francis Crick institute have discovered 14 proteins in blood that can help in early detection of lung cancers risks as early as 5 years before detection of cancer.

Lung cancer ranks number one in worldwide cancer deaths and in India is the number
one cause of cancer deaths in men.
Lung cancer misses early stages of detection because its symptoms are very common and
easily missed and misunderstood.

CAUSES OF LUNG CANCER

  1. Smoking: It is the biggest contributor to lung cancer cases worldwide accounting
    for nearly 80-90% of the disease burden. The carcinogens present in tobacco
    products cause rapid mutations in lung cells, lymph nodes and lining of the
    trachea.
    “While smoking is the major factor, another important factor is secondhand smoking
    which increases the susceptibility to cancer in non-smokers as well.”
  2. Pollution: In major industrial cities, long-term exposure to environmental
    pollutant gases increases the risk of cancer.
  3. Radon gases: These are the gases naturally released from the earth. They are
    inhaled through cracks and holes in buildings. They form a major part of indoor
    gases that are carcinogenic. These are more harmful indoors than outdoors. And
    they are a cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
  4. 4.Hazardous working conditions: Workers in sectors like mining of metals and coal, construction, and various chemical manufacturing establishments face increased exposure to asbestos, silica dust, chromium, arsenic etc. which makes them susceptible
    to cancers of the lungs and airways because of prolonged inhalation of these
    chemicals.
  5. History of lung cancer in family: Cancerous mutations can be transmitted from one generation to another. Also, if someone in the close family has suffered from
    the disease risk factor for other family members also increases due to sharing of
    same environments.

About the study

The study revealed that not only smoking but others factors such as air pollution and genetic predisposition increases chances of lung cancers even in non smoking.

The preventive tests are generally performed only smokers but the study suggests risk group can grow beyond that.

The tests are not available yet for the use, but the computational analysis suggest it can be instrumental in cancer diagnostics.

  • Lung cancer is a disease which impacts many families worldwide, millions lose lives each
    year. Best strategy for decreasing the burden of this disease is to start early and regular
    checkup of high risk population.

  • At individual level we should not ignore the early and even mild symptoms. Better life expectancy of lung cancer patients and complete elimination of disease is possible if early detection of cases is done.

How can we increase awareness about early symptoms and testing of cancers?

MBH/PS

2 Likes
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Seems like a great breakthrough.

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The discovery sounds promising but like all other discoveries this one too will require implementation, its access to the community would require it to become a affordable screening test in the first place. With this I hope we will be able to change the stats which clearly state lung cancer as the number one cause of death worldwide owing to its late diagnosis.

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Very first symptoms of any kind of respiratory disorder is cough, more than 2 weeks. This should me analysed properly, another sign is blood in sputum. Although Bloody sputum can be a sign of tuberculosis but as I said earlier, only early diagnosis can protect from cancer.

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Absolutely, early diagnosis is the key to treating lung cancer such that its chances of reoccurrence can be reduced to zero. It is a long way ahead but if We can achieve that it will be commendable.

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Indeed the path from a discovery to its implementation takes a lot of time and many steps in between and then there is issue of the cost of and its affordability. Changes at all the stages of drug development are required to fast-track the entire process.