Thoracic Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Güven Olgaç gave information about lung cancer. Stating that according to the data of the World Health Organization, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women worldwide. Dr. Güven Olgaç said, “According to 2020 statistics, our country ranks 1st in the world in terms of the incidence of lung cancer in men and 5th in both genders. “Unfortunately, Turkey ranks 4th among all countries in the world in terms of lung cancer death rate,” he said.
Explaining the risk factors in lung cancer, Prof. Dr. Olgaş said, “The biggest risk factor for lung cancer is smoking, and 85 percent of all cases are smokers. Other less well-known risk factors are environmental exposures such as radon, asbestos, arsenic, beryllium and uranium, and genetic predisposition. The risk of lung cancer also increases with age, a family history of lung cancer or cancer elsewhere in the body, radiation to the chest area, air pollution and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. With lung diseases such as work (COPD) It may also increase.
Considering that one in every four cancer deaths is due to lung cancer and that effective treatment options in the advanced stages of the disease are very limited. , long-term and morbid “The only way to achieve immediate survival is to catch the disease in its early stages,” he said.
The most successful diagnostic method accepted for early diagnosis is computed tomography scanning performed by exposure to low doses of radiation, and this cancer is cured worldwide. reducing deaths Underlining that it is extremely important for this screening method to become more widespread, Prof. Dr. Olgaç said, “The people most suitable for this test are people aged 50 and over who are current smokers or have had a long-term smoking history.
Persistent or worsening cough, sometimes accompanied by bloody sputum, chest or back pain, shortness of breath, wheezing ±sixfold breathing and It is meaningless weight loss. “If you are suffering from one or more of these symptoms, you should immediately consult a healthcare institution and have at least a lung x-ray,” he said. .
Emphasizing that patients with suspected lung cancer should go through a detailed diagnosis process, Prof. Dr. Olgaş added that lung x-ray, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance (MR), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), bronchoscopy and needle biopsy methods were used for this purpose.