2019-11-06 07:10:43
Lung Cancer Awareness Month — observed every November — is intended to educate the public about the potential causes and risk factors of the disease. It also promotes the need for screening among eligible populations, and promotes the importance of research underway to identify more effective treatments.
Overview
Lung cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. Around 22,000 new cases of lung cancer are recorded every year in Vietnam, with the disease being ranked among the top causes of death, doctors have said.
There are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer, but many people with the condition eventually develop symptoms including:
- a persistent cough
- coughing up blood
- persistent breathlessness
- unexplained tiredness and weight loss
- an ache or pain when breathing or coughing
- You should see a GP if you have these symptoms.
Types of lung cancer
Cancer that begins in the lungs is called primary lung cancer. Cancer that spreads to the lungs from another place in the body is known as secondary lung cancer. This page is about primary lung cancer.
There are two main forms of primary lung cancer. These are classified by the type of cells in which the cancer starts growing. They are:
- non-small-cell lung cancer – the most common form, accounting for more than 87% of cases. It can be one of three types: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma or large-cell carcinoma.
- small-cell lung cancer – a less common form that usually spreads faster than non-small-cell lung cancer.
The type of lung cancer you have determines which treatments are recommended.
Who's affected
Lung cancer mainly affects older people. It's rare in people younger than 40. More than 4 out of 10 people diagnosed with lung cancer are aged 75 and older. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among Vietnamese males, and the second-most common cause for cancer-related fatalities among females, doctors have said.
Although people who have never smoked can develop lung cancer, smoking is the most common cause (accounting for about 72% of cases). This is because smoking involves regularly inhaling a number of different toxic substances.
Treating lung cancer
Treatment depends on the type of mutation the cancer has, how far it's spread and how good your general health is.
If the condition is diagnosed early and the cancerous cells are confined to a small area, surgery to remove the affected area of lung may be recommended.
If surgery is unsuitable due to your general health, radiotherapy to destroy the cancerous cells may be recommended instead.
If the cancer has spread too far for surgery or radiotherapy to be effective, chemotherapy is usually used.
There are also a number of medicines known as targeted therapies. They target a specific change in or around the cancer cells that is helping them to grow. Targeted therapies cannot cure lung cancer but they can slow its spread.
Outlook
Lung cancer does not usually cause noticeable symptoms until it's spread through the lungs or into other parts of the body. This means the outlook for the condition is not as good as many other types of cancer.
About 1 in 3 people with the condition live for at least 1 year after they're diagnosed and about 1 in 20 people live at least 10 years.
However, survival rates vary widely, depending on how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis. Early diagnosis can make a big difference.
Quick, Painless & Accurate Cancer Detection
Screening means testing for a disease when there are no symptoms or history of that disease. Doctors recommend a screening test to find a disease early, when treatment may work better.
The only recommended screening test for lung cancer is low-dose computed tomography (also called a low-dose CT scan, or LDCT). In this test, an X-ray machine scans the body and uses low doses of radiation to make detailed pictures of the lungs.
Lung Cancer Screening Package
| Tests Included | |
| Medical consultation | |
| Comprehensive medical history & physical examinations |  |
| Specialist consultation | |
| Diagnostic Imaging | |
| Chest Low-dose CT (LDCT) | |
| Total cost of the individual tests (VND) | 2,350,000 |
| Package Price | 1,900,000 |
For appointment or any further information about services provided at CIH and its Clinics, please contact:
- Reception Desk: (8428) 6280 3333, ext. 8083
- Nurse Station: (8428) 6280 3333, ext. 8191
or call City International Hospital
- Operator: (8428) 6280 3333, ext. 0
- Address: No. 3, 17A Street, Binh Tri Dong B Ward, Binh Tan Dist. (Next to AEON Mall Binh Tan). Ho Chi Minh City.
- Website: https://cih.com.vn/en/
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