In the modern world, oncology is one of the main ills of mankind. Every year the world loses about 8 million people who have not been able to overcome this insidious disease. Lung cancer is quite aggressive, because it develops at a rapid pace.
Sad statistics
In terms of prevalence, lung cancer ranks first among all other malignant diseases. So, every year this diagnosis is made to one million people, 60% of whom die. In Russia, this pathology accounts for about 12% of the total number of cancer cases. Among all cancer deaths, 15% die from lung cancer.
In addition, among the male population, the disease occurs three times more often than among women. Every fourth man with oncology suffers from this particular disease, while among women - only every twelfth.
Causes of lung cancer
Of course, the main factor contributing to the development of this pathology is a person's addiction to smoking. Statistics say that 80% of all patients with cancerlung smoked for a long time. A cigarette contains a huge amount of harmful substances, of which about 60 have a carcinogenic effect (the ability to cause cancer).
The risk of developing cancer in people addicted to nicotine is twenty times higher than that of non-smokers. After how many years of smoking lung cancer develops, it is difficult to say. The fact is that the risk of developing the disease is directly dependent on the duration of smoking, the daily number of cigarettes, as well as the percentage of nicotine and other carcinogens in them.
The stronger cigarettes a person smokes, the more often and longer he does this, the more he exposes himself to the risk of developing malignant processes in his lungs.
The same applies to passive smokers who, against their will, become victims of tobacco smoke. In 1977, scientists found that the wives and children of cigarette addicts were three times more likely to develop cancer than non-smokers. How long lung cancer develops with this lifestyle is anyone's guess, but practice shows that sometimes 5-10 years is enough.
In addition, in the post-war period, the number of smokers increased sharply in countries, as a result of which, in just 10 years, the number of patients with lung cancer has almost doubled.
Another reason for the spread of lung cancer is the difficult environmental situation in a number of countries. With large-scale industrial development and the destruction of nature, a number of hazardous substances are constantly in the air, whichsettle in the upper respiratory tract, causing abnormal cell division.
Frequent and prolonged exposure to harmful substances (asbestos dust, ethereal vapors of chloromethyl and others) on the human respiratory system can be a provoking factor. This is especially true for workers in the construction industry, chemical and medicinal production.
People suffering from chronic respiratory diseases or pulmonary fibrosis are also at risk.
Do not forget about such a significant provoking factor as heredity. It is difficult to say how much lung cancer develops in people who have blood relatives with pulmonary oncology. But, as a rule, the course of the disease in such patients is more rapid than in others.
Therefore, this group of people should especially carefully monitor the condition of their lungs. To do this, you should completely stop smoking, inhaling any other harmful substances and regularly undergo preventive examinations
Stages of disease
Like any other oncological process, lung cancer proceeds in several stages. They differ from each other in the severity of symptoms, the size of the tumor, the presence of metastases and their number.
The sooner a tumor is diagnosed and appropriate measures taken, the greater the patient's chances of healing and prolonging life.
Zero stage
Characterized by the absence of any symptoms, the small size of the tumor, the complexity of diagnosis. So, for example, fluorography often fails to notice a small formation.
Symptomatics are either very mild or completely absent.
First stage
The tumor does not exceed three centimeters in size. The pleural tissue and lymph nodes are not yet affected. Diagnosis is possible, but in practice, only ten percent of patients have a neoplasm at this stage. When starting treatment in the first stage, the prognosis is very favorable - the survival rate over the next five years is 95%.
Due to the small size of the tumor, there are no specific symptoms, but there may be signs of general malaise, namely:
- constant weakness and lethargy;
- feeling of apathy;
- decrease in overall tone;
- periodic temperature rise to subfebrile values, without signs of a cold.
Second stage
A malignant neoplasm at this stage has a diameter of three to five centimeters, while the appearance of metastases in bronchial lymph nodes can be noted.
Diagnostic methods already easily detect neoplasms. Approximately one third of all cases are detected by doctors at this stage.
How quickly metastases develop in lung cancer depends on the type of oncology. In the shortest possible time, they are formed and spread throughout the body in patients with small cell cancer. A characteristic feature of the second stage is the appearance of pronouncedsymptoms of the disease.
There are various signs that lung cancer is developing. Symptoms may include:
- unexplained cough, with no other signs of a viral or bacterial infection;
- Pain when taking a deep breath;
- hoarse voice;
- reduction or lack of appetite;
- weight loss;
- appearance of shortness of breath.
Another alarming "bell" may be the too frequent occurrence of bronchitis and pneumonia.
Third stage
Depending on how quickly lung cancer develops, this stage is divided into two stages:
Stage 3a. The tumor has a diameter of more than five centimeters. Damage to the pleura and chest wall is noted. Metastases reach the bronchial and lymph nodes. The prognosis is favorable only in 30% of patients. More than 50% of all lung cancer cases are diagnosed at this stage.
Stage 3b. As lung cancer develops, the size of the tumor increases. The main feature of this stage is the involvement of the vascular machine, esophagus, heart and spine in the process.
Mostly poor outlook.
How long it takes for lung cancer to develop at this stage is impossible to answer. However, almost always at this stage, a vivid symptomatology of the process appears. The patient may experience:
- painful, persistent cough with bloody or purulent sputum;
- constant pain inareas of the chest that increase with inhalation;
- strong weight loss;
- complete loss of appetite;
- constant shortness of breath that occurs even with the slightest exertion;
- high body temperature;
- regular bronchitis and pneumonia;
- when listening, wheezing appears in the lungs;
- pain in the shoulder girdle;
- numbness of fingertips;
- regular occurrence of dizziness and headache;
- sight and hearing may be impaired.
When cancer is detected at this stage, the patient's chances of recovery are significantly reduced.
Fourth stage
How long lung cancer develops to this stage, individually for each individual case. However, they all have one thing in common - uncontrolled tumor metastasis. Metastases spread throughout the body, settling in the tissues of the brain, liver, pancreas and other organs. For patients at this stage, oncologists give a disappointing prognosis. Almost 100% of the disease is fatal.
In the last stage of lung cancer, the symptoms are especially pronounced. The patient suffers from symptoms such as:
- violent, choking cough with bloody sputum;
- chest pain can be intense;
- shortness of breath even at rest;
- weakness;
- refusing to eat;
- angina;
- disturbance of digestion.
It is worth noting that the abovestages are relevant only in cases such as the development of non-small cell lung cancer.
There is also small cell lung cancer - an oncological disease arising from the epithelial cells of the bronchi. This type is characterized by a high degree of malignancy, a long absence of symptoms and a very rapid development, therefore, only two stages of the process are distinguished in oncology:
- The tumor is within the same lung and nearby tissues.
- The tumor begins to metastasize and extends beyond the affected lung tissue.
Symptoms are similar to those of non-small cell cancer, but they are less pronounced and remain invisible for a long time. For small cell carcinoma, the prognosis is less favorable. Even with early intervention, the five-year survival rate is only 40%.
How long does lung cancer take to develop
Of course, each case is unique, and it is impossible to give an exact amount of time. Therefore, in order to begin to manifest pronounced symptoms of the disease, it can take from one month to several years.
In practice, there are cases when a few months after the onset of the first symptoms, lung cancer claimed the life of a patient. It happens and vice versa - a person lives and does not feel any symptoms for many years.
It happens that the patient begins to show symptoms already at the last stage. Such people seek medical help too late. And oncologists cannot give an exact answer for how many years lung cancer has developed insuch a patient. It could be a few months, or it could be many years.
People who managed to defeat the disease leave feedback on how lung cancer developed. Some claim that for a long time they did not have any symptoms. The tumor was diagnosed randomly, at stage 1 or 2. After the operation and several courses of chemotherapy, they managed to defeat the disease and stay alive. All that is required of them now is to periodically undergo appropriate examinations and take blood tests. This is done in order to control the possible recurrence of oncology. Other patients felt weak and unwell already at the first stage, after which they immediately sought medical help and thereby saved their lives.
It is worth noting that a significant effect on how quickly lung cancer develops has a patient's morale. If a person, when making such a diagnosis, does not perceive it as a sentence, does not lose heart and does not give up, then his chances of a successful outcome are significantly increased. And this is confirmed by the reviews of patients. How lung cancer develops can be said to depend on the patient himself.
In addition, according to statistics, in most cases a person is killed not by the tumor itself, but by its metastases. Therefore, it is so important to diagnose cancer in time and take appropriate measures for its treatment.
Lung cancer treatments
Surgery
Relevant only ifnon-small cell cancer. Under general anesthesia, the surgeon performs an opening of the chest, after which the tumor is completely or partially excised. The main task of the doctor is to extract as much malignant tissue as possible. The more the tumor is removed, the higher the chances of healing the patient. However, it should be noted that this method of treatment is not always possible. For example, the operation of patients who are at stages 3-4 of the process is in most cases inappropriate, since the tumor is already growing into neighboring tissues and metastasizing. It will be very difficult for such a patient to recover from the operation.
Chemotherapy
Often used as the main method. Chemotherapy is the treatment of a patient with drugs that have antitumor activity. Depending on how quickly lung cancer develops, this method is divided into several types:
- Neoadjuvant - is prescribed in cases where there are no metastases yet and an operation is planned to remove the tumor. Before surgery, it is necessary to destroy malignant cells.
- Adjuvant - such chemotherapy is carried out after surgery. The main goal of treatment is to destroy the remaining tumor cells.
- Systemic - used in those patients who are late to undergo surgery (in the last stages of cancer). Therefore, in such patients, chemotherapy is the main method of treatment.
Radiotherapy
A method of treatment in which a malignant tumor is irradiated with gamma rays. These rays have destructiveaction on cancer cells, interfere with their growth and reproduction. Both the tumor itself and the sites prone to metastasis are exposed to radiation. The method can also be used for non-small cell cancer.
This area of cancer treatment has come a long way. Recently, many options for irradiation have appeared that can destroy the tumor as much as possible with minimal harm to he althy tissues. So, one of the newest methods is high-dose brachytherapy, when the radiation source is an implant that is surgically placed in the human body in close proximity to the tumor and destroys it.
Another newest method is IMRT RAPID Arc radioactive therapy, in which absolutely the entire dose of radiation is directed to the neoplasm, while not affecting he althy organs.
The above 3 treatments are the main ones. However, there are a number of other methods of fighting cancer.
Targeted or targeted cancer therapy
Consists in the use of a number of special drugs ("Erlotinib", "Gefitinib" and the like), which recognize the specific signs of tumor cells and inhibit their growth and spread.
These funds have a high therapeutic activity. In addition, they are able to disrupt the processes of blood supply to the tumor. This method of treatment can be used both as the main therapy and in combination with chemotherapy drugs, thereby increasing the chances of the patient's recovery.
Palliative care
Applicable whenwhen the prognosis is poor. All that remains for doctors is to carry out symptomatic treatment in order to alleviate the suffering of the patient and maximize his life. The most common form of palliative care is pain medication.
Conclusion
Lung cancer is a dangerous disease with rapid development and high mortality. No one knows for sure how much lung cancer develops in a particular person. There are cases when patients had a fulminant course of the disease. Therefore, it is extremely important to regularly undergo preventive medical examinations and fluorographic examination. In addition, you should take very responsible care of your he alth and general well-being, giving up bad habits, especially smoking.
How did lung cancer develop? Patients' testimonials stated that the most difficult thing is to learn about the diagnosis and be able to accept it. The main thing is the morale and the desire to fight such a strong enemy as oncology.
