Lung cancer is a relatively frequent malignant tumor in Peru and is among the 5 most prevalent types of cancer. Unfortunately, it is usually diagnosed in advanced stages in 80% of the patients who come to the first consultation, making its treatment complex and costly. However, the remaining 20% are diagnosed in early stages, allowing better control and chances of cure. Early detection usually occurs in asymptomatic patients, but if symptoms are present, the lung cancer is generally already in a moderately advanced or very advanced stage, explains Dr. Edgar Amorin, specialist in oncologic surgery and thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at our clinic, who provides us with more information on this disease.

• For decades lung cancer was more frequent in men. The ratio between men and women was 10:1. Nowadays, the situation has changed and is almost equivalent. This is due to the fact that women have new lifestyles both personally and professionally, have started smoking tobacco, have greater occupational exposure to different irritating, toxic and carcinogenic inhalants. If this trend continues, in a few years there will be more women than men with this disease.

• The most important carcinogen of lung cancer is cigarette smoking, and there is a direct link of up to 90% in both sexes. Tobacco is harmful to both active and passive smokers. People considered to be at high risk for developing lung cancer are those who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day, who have smoked for more than 10 consecutive years and who have started smoking at an early age.

• People over the age of 40 are at relatively high risk for this disease. Although it tends to develop more frequently between the ages of 50 and 70. It is not common to see this condition in adults under the age of 40; however, we are seeing more and more young people, even teenagers as young as 16, diagnosed with this disease.

• In addition to smoking, there are other risk factors for lung cancer: genetic load, exposure to particulate matter (PM), environmental pollution, exposure to domestic wood smoke (predominantly in rural areas), use of pesticides, chronic instructive lung disease, chronic bronchitis, lung scarring from TB or other inflammation, etc.

• If a high-risk patient experiences persistent symptoms such as cough that does not yield to treatment, phlegm with traces of blood or bloody expectoration, chest pain, shortness of breath, significant weight loss, among others, the possibility of lung cancer should be considered.

• Diagnosis is made by computed tomography. If detected early as a pulmonary micronodule, surgery is potentially the only curative treatment.

Dr. Edgar Amorin
Specialist in oncologic surgery and thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at Clínica Ricardo Palma