Lung cancer treatment in India

As you can infer from the name, cancer that begins in the lungs is defined as lung cancer and it is very common in people who have a smoking habit. The spongy organs on our chest that is responsible for our breathing and therefore our living, are our lungs and when they are affected with cancer cells, we term it lung cancer. It also happens to be the leading cause of death by cancer across the world. While lung cancer is prominently found affecting those who smoke, others can also get affected by it. It could be due to passive smoking or various other reasons. Those who have quit smoking, have managed to reduce the risk of lung cancer significantly. Many different therapies and lung cancer treatments in India are available to those who seek the same.

Signs or symptoms of lung cancer

In the early stages, this type of cancer may not give out any warning signs or symptoms. It is usually during the advanced stage of the prognosis that you notice the below symptoms.

1. Cough that never leaves
2. Blood spurting out when you cough
3. Chest pain
4. Shortness in breath
5. Weight loss and bone pain
6. Headache
7. Hoarseness in the voice

If any of these signs or symptoms continue to exist, then it is time to consult a doctor to verify and possibly discuss the best lung cancer treatment in India.

Lung cancer types

Based on the appearance of cancer the doctors classify lung cancer primarily into two types. Knowing the type of cancer will help in deciding the right lung cancer treatment in India.

1. Heavy smokers often end up with small cell lung cancer and it is not very common either.
2. The non-small cell lung cancer includes large cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, etc.

Risks and causes

The main cause of lung cancer is found to be smoking, active or passive. The inner lining of the lungs is damaged by the chemicals we inhale when smoking a cigarette or tobacco. The lung tissue starts immediately mutating and initially the body’s immunity fights it off. Gradually though, the cancerous cells take over and multiply rapidly leading to lung cancer. These cells behave abnormally, resulting in many symptoms that sometimes can be fatal. While smoking is the primary reason for lung cancer, it is also found that people who have never been exposed to active or passive smoking are also affected by lung cancer. Certain risk factors have a bearing on the possibility of an individual getting lung cancer.

• Active smoking can have a huge impact, despite the age of the person. But quitting it can have a significant impact on the possibility of this cancer too.
• Passive smoking or exposure to secondhand smoking also increases the chance of lung cancer.
• Radiation therapy for treating other cancer, given to the chest, can have an impact on the possibility of lung cancer.
• When uranium present naturally in water, rock, and soil breaks down it produces radon that mixes in the air. When the radon levels are high in the air we breathe, it can result in lung cancer.
• Workplace exposure to cancer-causing agents like asbestos, arsenic, nickel, chromium, and other carcinogens can also result in lung cancer.
• If a blood relative had a case of lung cancer, then gene mutations can also result in lung cancer in an individual.

If diagnosed with lung cancer, then you have to consult your doctor to plan the right lung cancer treatment in India.

Diagnosis and lung cancer treatment in India

If an individual has a chance of contracting lung cancer then an annual screen with the doctor is advised to ensure that there are no surprises in the future. The usual tests of imaging like X-ray, CT scan, etc. help in determining the presence of cancer while biopsy of tissue sample will help in confirming the same. Additionally, for lung cancer, sputum cytology, a study of the sputum under a microscope to reveal cancer cells is also conducted. On confirmation that it is lung cancer,  the doctor will then advise you on the best course of lung cancer treatment in India depending on the medical condition of the patient, the pre-existing medical history, health condition, cancer stage, age, and other factors.

Lung cancer treatment in India

The tumor along with a portion of the healthy tissue is removed as part of surgery for lung cancer. There are, however, different procedures used to handle different scenarios under lung cancer treatment in India through surgery.

• Lobectomy, where the entire lobe is removed from the lung
• Pneumonectomy where one of the lungs is removed to contain the infection and to remove the tumor.
• A larger portion of the lung is removed under segmental resection but the lobe is not completely disturbed.
• A smaller section of lung removal is termed as wedged resection in which even a portion of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor is removed.

Surgery is advised as a lung cancer treatment in India only if cancer is confined to the lungs. Other treatment options like chemotherapy or radiation are also undertaken alongside surgery if it is larger lung cancer. Therapies provided under lung cancer treatment in India include,

• Usage of high-energy power beams like X-rays, photons, or protons to kill cancer-causing cells in the body. This is termed radiation therapy.
• The usage of drugs to kill cancer cells through IV or injections or pills is carried out during the process of chemotherapy.
• Stereotactic body radiotherapy is typically used for those who have small lung cancers and surgery cannot be performed. This is an intense radiation treatment where many radiation beams are concentrated on a single part of the body to kill cancer cells.
• Other drug therapies include targeted therapy, primarily used for cancer from genetic mutations, and immunotherapy which boosts and helps the immune system to fight cancer naturally.