Tag: lung cancer

Is a Family History of Lung Cancer Predictive?

Despite the fact that smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, many people who develop the disease have never smoked. Around 20% of patients who die of lung cancer each year are in this category. Aside from smoking, your surroundings and genetics may also play a role in your risk. If you have a lung cancer-prone father, brother, or sister, you are twice as likely to develop the disease as someone who does not have a family history of the disease. However, it’s ideal if you place that threat in context. Your overall danger level is low. Having a parent or sibling who has been diagnosed with lung cancer does not mean you will get it as well. Only about 8% of lung cancers are passed on in families.

To reduce the risk, it is advisable to be aware of one’s family history and discuss it with an oncologist in Kolkata, just as it is with any other health concern.

Clinical trials and research indicate how distinct lung cancer risk factors may modify lung cells’ DNA, which could lead to lung cancer. These changes can lead to abnormal cell growth and, in some situations, cancer. DNA is the chemical that makes up our genes, which control how our cells function. Much more than our looks is influenced by our DNA, which is inherited from both parents. Furthermore, it has the potential to influence our risk of contracting certain diseases, such as cancer.

When cells develop, divide to generate new cells, and die, specific genes play a role.

Oncogenes are genes that promote cell growth, proliferation, and survival.

Tumor suppressor genes are those that help control cell division or cause cells to die at the right time.

Changes in the DNA can cause cancer by activating oncogenes or inhibiting tumour suppressor genes. Lung cancer is usually caused by mutations in a large number of different genes. Patients with a family history of lung cancer should get frequent screenings and contact an oncologist in Kolkata for early detection and diagnosis.

Lung cancer screening eligibility

Low-dose CT scanning has risks, including the possibility of doing more harm than good in people who are less likely to acquire lung cancer. People who are at a higher risk of lung cancer should consult with their doctor, who can assist them in making an informed decision about whether or not they should be tested. If people choose to be tested, they should do so every year until they reach the age of 74, as long as they are healthy.

Heavy smoking history

A person who has smoked for 30 pack-years or more is considered to be a heavy smoker. A pack-year is a year in which a person smoked one pack of cigarettes every day. For example, 30 pack-years can be met by smoking one pack of cigarettes per day for 30 years or two packs per day for 15 years.

Current smokers and those who have stopped smoking in the previous 15 years are at a higher risk of lung cancer and should be checked. Current smokers who are getting smoking cessation counselling should be screened.

Family history of lung cancer

It is very important to know early symptoms of cancer. Anyone with a family history of lung cancer should see an oncologist in Kolkata on a regular basis to reduce their chance of developing lung cancer. By speaking with a medical specialist about the benefits, limitations, and potential risks, a patient can choose whether now is the right time to schedule their lung cancer test.

Those above the age of 55 should have regular lung cancer screenings. Those between the ages of 55 and 80 should have regular lung cancer screenings.

Many patients with lung cancer do not have symptoms until the disease has advanced. Some people may confuse the early signs and symptoms of one ailment with those of another. Anyone who is at a higher risk of lung cancer should have a yearly screening to discover the disease early on when it is easier to treat. Screenings, on the other hand, may miss some types of lung cancer or detect it at a later stage. Credihealth can help you schedule an appointment with an oncologist in Kolkata to learn more about cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Credihealth also provides information on a hospital’s facilities and services, such as ambulance service, blood banks, pharmacies, physicians, pricing, treatment costs, and reviews and ratings. Call Credihealth’s in-house specialist at 8010-994-994 and request a callback for medical assistance with any therapy.

Ways to Decide on Lung Cancer Treatment

Lung cancer is cancer that starts in the lungs. Your lungs are two spongy organs in your chest that take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide as you breathe. Lung cancer is the main cause of mortality from cancer globally. Those who smoke are at the highest risk of developing lung cancer, but it can also occur in people who have never smoked. The risk of lung cancer increases with the amount of time and cigarettes smoked. If you quit smoking, even if you have been doing so for a long time, you can dramatically lower your risks of acquiring lung cancer. 

Find all the information you need about lung cancer and cancer hospitals in Hyderabad, Delhi, or any other city on Credihealth. It’s always better to be cautious.

Factors that can cause Lung cancer

A variety of variables may raise your chance of developing lung cancer. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be reduced or eliminated. Other elements, such as your family history, are uncontrollable. Lung cancer risk factors include: 

  • Smoking: The number of cigarettes you smoke each day and the number of years you have smoked raise your risk of lung cancer. Quitting smoking at any age can reduce your chance of developing lung cancer considerably.
  • Exposure to secondhand smoke: Even if you don’t smoke, being exposed to secondhand smoke raises your risk of lung cancer.
  • Previous radiation therapy: If you’ve had chest radiation therapy for another form of cancer, you may be at a higher risk of getting lung cancer.
  • Radon gas exposure: Radon is created naturally by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water, and it eventually becomes part of the air you breathe. Unsafe radon levels may build up in any structure, including houses.
  • Workplace exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens, such as arsenic, chromium, and nickel, can raise your chance of getting lung cancer, particularly if you smoke.
  • People who have a parent, sibling, or child who has lung cancer are at a higher risk of developing the disease.

If you feel you have been exposed to any of the above factors, then get yourself checked in the best cancer hospitals in Hyderabad. You can get a complete profile of all the top cancer hospitals in Hyderabad on Credihealth.

Treatment for Lung cancer

A cancer treatment plan is chosen by you and your doctor based on a variety of variables, including your general health, the kind and stage of your disease, and your preferences.

  • Surgery: During surgery, your surgeon removes the lung cancer as well as a margin of healthy tissue. If you have surgery, your surgeon may remove lymph nodes from your chest to look for indications of cancer. If your cancer is limited to the lungs, surgery may be a possibility.
  • Radiation Therapy: Radiation treatment kills cancer cells by delivering high-energy beams from sources such as X-rays and protons. Radiation therapy may be administered before or after surgery for individuals with locally advanced lung cancer. It is frequently used in conjunction with chemotherapy treatments.
  • Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy employs the use of medicines to destroy cancer cells. One or more chemotherapy medicines may be administered intravenously or orally through a vein in your arm. Chemotherapy is frequently administered following surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.
  • Stereotactic body radiotherapy: Stereotactic body radiotherapy, often known as radiosurgery, is a high-intensity radiation treatment that targets the malignancy with several beams of radiation from various angles. Stereotactic body radiation is usually finished in one or two sessions.
  • Targeted drug treatment: Targeted medication therapies target particular defects found in cancer cells. Cancer cells can be killed by specific medication therapies that inhibit these abnormalities.
  • Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that employs your immune system to combat the disease. Because cancer cells generate proteins that assist them to hide from immune system cells, your body’s disease-fighting immune system may not attack your cancer. Immunotherapy works by interfering with the immune system’s natural defenses.

Learn more about which cancer hospitals in Hyderabad offer which treatment on Credihealth. Get an online consultation now to see which treatment will be the best course of action for you.

Ways you can prevent lung cancer

  • Don’t start smoking if you’ve never done so. Discuss the importance of not smoking with your children so that they understand how to prevent this significant risk factor for lung cancer. Begin discussions on the hazards of smoking with your children as early as possible so that they will know how to respond to peer pressure.
  • Avoid inhaling secondhand smoke. If you live or work with someone who smokes, encourage him or her to quit. At the absolute least, request that he or she smoke outdoors. Avoid smoking locations, such as pubs and restaurants, and look for smoke-free choices.
  • Radon levels in your house should be checked. Check the radon levels in your house, especially if you reside in a region where radon is a recognized issue. Radon levels above a certain threshold can be reduced to make your house safer. Contact your local department of public health or a local branch of the American Lung Association for further information about radon testing.
  • Consume plenty of fruits and veggies. Choose a nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables. The finest sources of vitamins and minerals are foods. Large dosages of vitamins in tablet form should be avoided since they may be hazardous.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry. You can book an appointment through Credihealth to find out more about how you can prevent lung cancer. Find out everything about the best cancer hospitals in Hyderabad and the best oncologists too. 

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