FOR the longest time, lung cancer has been viewed as a smoker's disease or a man's ailment.
Janice, 32, doesn't fit that profile. The young woman, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in April last year, doesn't smoke. Neither did she show any obvious symptoms of the disease.
A routine medical examination showed a shadow on her chest X-ray and further investigation revealed that she had quite a large tumour. The news came as a complete shock to Janice but with treatment, she is now in remission.
Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in Malaysia and is often detected very late. In fact, 93 per cent of men and 92 per cent of women with lung cancer are diagnosed at stage three or four.
At this point, cancer cells would have already infiltrated different parts of the lungs, the lymph nodes or even other organs, causing other complications.
Early detection makes a significant difference — it allows timely treatment, which ultimately enables patients to slow the disease progression, manage their condition better, live much longer and enjoy a better quality of life.
Unfortunately, the symptoms of lung cancer — especially at early stages — are not very distinct. They are also very common. More often than not, these symptoms get brushed off as common ailments caused by a sedentary lifestyle or stress. Unknown to many, it is a sign of something lethal and more serious.
DON'T IGNORE SYMPTOMS
Ninety per cent of the time, lung cancer will present as cough, says council member of the Malaysian Oncological Society (MOS) and consultant clinical oncologist Dr Malwinder Singh.
Patients will usually see a general practitioner or go to a Klinik Kesihatan to get medicine but when their condition doesn't get better, they tend to put it down to ageing, or visit another doctor or clinic.
Dr Malwinder says they don't seek further investigation and this causes delay in detection, resulting in patients only being diagnosed at stage three or four.
"If your symptoms persist for more than two weeks, get it checked. When the tumour is detected early, your chances of survival are better and you also save money because your treatment will cost less than someone at stage four."
There are many risk factors for lung cancer. Smoking is not the only cause but is one of the main contributing factors. But these days, many people are diagnosed even without a history of smoking, so it can happen to anyone.
"Even e-cigarettes cause lung cancer and a lot of studies have proven it. There are many chemicals in them which cause your cells to mutate."
Exposure to secondhand smoke also poses a risk. Someone who smokes will naturally inhale more chemicals from the cigarette but that doesn't mean secondhand smoke doesn't have those harmful chemicals too.
"When you inhale secondhand smoke, it goes to your lungs and causes your cells to mutate."
GREATER AWARENESS
Emphasising the importance of lung cancer awareness, cardiothoracic surgeon and co-founder of the Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM), Dr Anand Sachithanandan, says lung cancer is no longer a male smoker's problem.
It affects more everyday Malaysians and the public need to know that lung cancer is preventable and potentially curable if detected early.
"Unfortunately, we see many cases of people with advanced lung cancer who did not get their symptoms checked because they did not fit the profile for the disease," says Dr Anand.
At stages one and two, the goal of treatment is to cure the patient, he adds. At stages three and four, doctors will seek to improve the patient's quality of life and while tremendous advancements have been made in the field of lung cancer treatment, at these stages, treatments are not curative, explains Dr Anand.
Treatment enables patients to live longer and with a better quality of life, but unfortunately, they may still succumb to it.
"That is why it's very important for us to pick up the disease early."
In conjunction with World Lung Cancer Awareness Month this month, LCNM, MOS and National Cancer Society Malaysia, with the support of AstraZeneca and Roche want to empower Malaysians through the Knowing Lung Cancer campaign.
It is an integrated education campaign with the aim of increasing lung cancer awareness among the public and encourage those with lung cancer, high risk groups, and their caregivers to discuss lung cancer openly.
It aims to promote conversations around lung cancer for early detection and timely treatment. The campaign will run on LCNM's Facebook and Instagram pages, offering educational content about lung cancer and support for those affected.
Fast Facts - Lung Cancer
Risk Factors
*Smoking
*Exposure to secondhand smoke
*Family history of lung cancer
*Previous radiation therapy
*Exposure to radon gas
*Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens
Common Signs
*A cough that does not go away or gets worse
*Coughing up blood or rust-colored sputum
*Chest pain that is often worse with deep breathing, coughing, or laughing
*Shortness of breath
*Feeling tired or weak
*Infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia that keep coming back
*Loss of appetite
*Unexplained weight loss