How is screening for early detection of lung cancer?

People at high risk should undergo low-dose chest CT scans each year, people with moderate risk of chest CT scans are low for two consecutive years and every 3-5 years.

Associate Professor Pham Hung Cuong, Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, said lung cancer is one of the five most common cancers in Vietnam. The disease has two forms: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer patients without small cells in the early stages have a high rate of cure, 92% live five years if the cancer is less than one centimeter in size. If you have spread to the liver or adrenal gland, only about 1% survived five years after treatment.

Lung cancer patients without small cells at an early stage have a high rate of cure.(Photo: brocku).

Some risk factors for lung cancer:

1. Smoking, passive smoking.
2. Radon, asbestos, polluted air, pre-radiotherapy to the lungs.
3. Families with lung cancer.

In the above risk factors, passive smoking and smoking are the most important. The absence or discontinuation of smoking is considered to be the main preventive measures.

Who is at risk for lung cancer?

The average risk is that people aged 50 and older, do not smoke or smoke much, have smoked a lot but have stopped for more than 15 years.

The high risk is that people from 50 years old, smoke 30 packs a year, one pack a day for 30 years or 2 packs a day for 15 years.

Can lung cancer be detected early?

Common symptoms of lung cancer patients are:

1. Chest pain.
2. Cough.
3. Shortness of breath.
4. Hoarse.
5. The neck.

Early lung cancer patients often have no symptoms. For early detection, screening for people at risk of lung cancer without symptoms. Currently the risk groups for lung cancer have been identified, the means of screening for lung cancer are also available, so early detection is feasible.

How should the disease be screened?

Guidelines of the Japanese Ministry of Health, high-risk people should undergo low-dose chest CT scans every year . Medium-risk people should undergo a low-dose CT scan for two consecutive years and every 3-5 years. If there is an abnormality, high-dose chest CT scan, bronchoscopy, biopsy of the chest wall, chest surgery .

US Department of Health guidelines, screening age 55-74 with low-dose chest CT scans every year. If there is an abnormality, high-dose chest CT scan, bronchoscopy, biopsy of the chest wall, chest surgery .

Associate Professor Pham Hung Cuong said, low-dose chest CT scan is chest scans, with a quick scan, in a maximum inhalation, lasting no longer than 25 seconds. The amount of radioactive radiation the patient must suffer is lower than the average radiation received per person per year from natural radioactive substances and cosmic radiation from outer space. A low-dose chest CT scan can detect small tumors less than a centimeter that the X-ray of the lungs is often invisible.

Screening for lung cancer helps detect early lung cancer with the ability to treat high disease, 92% live five years. Can be checked at the Cancer Screening Department of Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital or medical facilities that can take CT scans.