Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 13: Lung cancer remains one of the most common and deadly malignancies worldwide, yet many patients seek medical attention only when the disease has advanced, reducing treatment options and survival rates.

Silent beginnings

Early-stage lung cancer often shows no noticeable symptoms, as small tumors rarely affect breathing. Mild signs like occasional cough or slight chest discomfort are often mistaken for minor respiratory issues, leading to delayed diagnosis. Severe symptoms—such as blood in sputum, persistent cough, unexplained weight loss, and breathing difficulties—typically appear only in advanced stages.

Challenges in early detection

A lack of awareness about screening procedures contributes to late presentations. High-risk individuals, including chronic smokers and those exposed to environmental pollutants, often do not undergo routine evaluations. Early tumors are frequently detected incidentally during imaging for unrelated conditions.

Treatment options for advanced cases

Late diagnosis limits surgical options. While early-stage lung cancer may be treated with lobectomy or segmentectomy, advanced stages require comprehensive approaches, including:

• Surgical debulking to relieve symptoms and enhance other treatments
• Minimally invasive thoracic surgery such as robotic-assisted or video-assisted thoracoscopic procedures (VATS)
• Bronchoscopic interventions including stent placement or mechanical tumor removal
• Targeted therapies and immunotherapy to strengthen the immune response or attack cancer cells with specific genetic markers

Focus on prevention and screening

Emphasizing preventive health checks, public awareness of risk factors, and accessible screening programs can enable earlier diagnosis. Low-dose CT scans, especially for high-risk individuals, can detect tumors before symptoms develop, improving survival chances.

Early detection remains crucial to improve treatment outcomes and survival rates, highlighting the need for public awareness, routine screening, and timely evaluation of even minor respiratory symptoms.