Lung cancer: need for timely action vs a serious health problem

Malignant tumors in Holguin constitute a serious health problem, so much so that they are one of the main causes of premature mortality in the province.

And the fact is that oncological diseases seem to behave like a charge of explosives that gain ground every year, not only in the territory and the country, but worldwide, where locations such as lung, unfortunately, are among those that have the greatest impact on the years of life potentially lost.

Every November 17, on the occasion of the world day for the fight against this scourge, important spaces for dialogue are dedicated to this disease.

To understand why this happens, it is necessary to know that when a person has this cancer, he/she has abnormal cells grouped together, which give rise to a tumor. They then grow without order or control, destroying the surrounding healthy lung tissue. This results in the body’s organs not functioning properly.

Although there are not many new treatments that provide a high percentage of resolution of the disease, an integration is achieved so that the patient’s quality of life improves.

In the province of Holguin, one of the causes that most affect this localization is the predominance of late diagnosis, in advanced stages. As there are few nerve terminals in the lungs, many may not present symptoms until the disease is in its final stages. This is one of the reasons why lung cancer is so serious and complex to treat.

Surgery as a treatment modality is essential but is performed whenever the entire cancer can be removed and the patient’s respiratory status permits removal of part of the lung. From now on, surveillance and periodic check-ups are established to evaluate the sequelae of the treatment.

At the Holguín Territorial Oncology Center, on average only 10 to 20 percent of the cases are diagnosed in these early stages, which is why the results are not satisfactory. Specialists on the subject agree that it is not that it goes through the first asymptomatic stages, what happens is that they do not associate it with symptoms such as cough or chest pains.

When a complete interrogation is made, some symptoms do appear which were not given importance, so that the timely diagnosis does not occur and then complications and metastasis occur.

So it could be the case of a tumor in the lungs without causing pain or discomfort, although there are warning signs such as frequent snoring, shortness of breath, lung infections such as repeated bronchitis or pneumonia and coughing up blood. In addition, smoking is the main factor in 90 percent of cases for both sexes, as well as exposure to hazardous substances increases the chances of getting sick.

Although the incidence of this type of cancer is high, this does not mean that it means the eminent death of all those who suffer from it. There is a Cuban monoclonal antibody, Nimotuzumab, which inhibits the uncontrolled proliferation of malignant cells, the formation of new vessels and metastasis by activating the immune system.

Some patients do recover, although it should be stressed that the chances of a better outcome increase to the extent that the diagnosis is made early.

Nevertheless, personnel specialized in oncological conditions seek efficiency in diagnosis and treatment in order to improve the patient’s life expectancy and quality of life. It is not enough for medical professionals to work on care, but also for us as a society to act in a timely manner.