Detect cancer from common symptoms

Lung cancer is the leading cause of new cases in men, with more than 1.4 million cases, and the third leading cause in women, with nearly 771,000 cases. Vietnam has a very high incidence and mortality rate from lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of new cases in men, with more than 1.4 million cases, and the third leading cause in women, with nearly 771,000 cases. Vietnam has a very high incidence and mortality rate from lung cancer.

Information from Bach Mai Hospital said the facility is treating a 72-year-old man who came to the hospital with continuous back pain and a dull headache, and despite taking painkillers, his condition did not improve.

A hospital examination revealed that he had metastatic lung cancer with meningeal metastases, a rare condition. His family said he had a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, high blood pressure, and smoking.

Lung cancer is the leading disease in new cases in men .

Doctor Pham Cam Phuong, Director of the Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Center, Bach Mai Hospital, said that the chest CT scan results detected an abnormal mass in the patient's left lung. The biopsy results confirmed that the lung cancer had metastasized to the bone and progressed to stage 4.

According to Dr. Pham Cam Phuong, this case is a patient with late-stage lung cancer, metastasis to the bones and meninges, a rare complication related to gene mutation. Doctors consulted and agreed on an immunotherapy treatment plan.

After 6 cycles of treatment, the patient responded well, clinical symptoms improved, lesion size decreased and no new lesions appeared. Doctors hope that the patient will maintain a stable condition for a long time and not experience new complications.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of new cases in men, with more than 1.4 million cases, and the third leading cause in women, with nearly 771,000 cases. Vietnam has a very high incidence and mortality rate of lung cancer.

In 2020, lung cancer was the second leading cause of new cases and deaths in both sexes, with a new case rate of 14% and a death rate of 19%. The disease is common in older people, and 90% of lung cancer cases are diagnosed after the age of 55, with the average age of diagnosis being 70. The incidence and death rates in men are twice as high as in women.

Among them, meningeal metastasis from lung cancer is one of the most serious complications of lung cancer. The rate of meningeal metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ranges from 5% to 15%. The median survival time of patients with NSCLC with meningeal metastasis ranges from 3.6 to 11 months.

Warning signs of back pain due to lung cancer include back pain at rest, at night, pain when inactive and worse when lying in bed, breathing deeply.

Pain that does not respond to physical therapy and other treatments can also be a sign of lung cancer. Back pain caused by lung cancer is often accompanied by other symptoms such as persistent cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chest pain. The patient may also feel tired, lose weight unintentionally, and have a loss of appetite.

Doctors recommend that people with risk factors such as regular tobacco use, family members with lung cancer, work environments exposed to radiation, toxic dust, or when having suspicious symptoms such as coughing up blood, persistent cough that does not respond to cough suppressants, should go for screening to detect the disease early. Common lung cancer treatments include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Another case is Ms. NTB (62 years old, Lam Dong), who had to deal with severe abdominal pain and vomiting yellow fluid for more than a week.

Although she took many stomach medicines, her condition did not improve. Her family took her to the hospital emergency room. After tests, ultrasound and CT scan, doctors discovered a large tumor in her right kidney, with a diameter of 6 cm.

MSc. Dr. Cao Vinh Duy, Department of Urology, Center for Urology - Nephrology - Andrology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City said that each kidney is about 5 - 6 cm wide.

In Ms. B's case, the 6 cm diameter tumor had taken up most of her right kidney. The doctor decided to surgically remove the right kidney to prevent the tumor from growing further, avoiding the risk of it invading or sprouting into the veins, causing more dangerous complications.

“The patient had almost no symptoms of kidney tumor, no blood in the urine, no pain in the flank area. If there were no symptoms of abdominal pain and vomiting requiring hospitalization, the disease probably would not have been detected,” said Master Cao Vinh Duy.

The biopsy results showed that Ms. B. had stage 1 chromophobe RCC. This is a rare type of cancer, accounting for about 5% of all kidney cancers, but chromophobe RCC tends to grow more slowly and metastasize less, resulting in a higher 5-year survival rate. After surgery, Ms. B.'s health stabilized, and the doctor noted that she needed to pay attention to her health, limit salt and protein intake, and protect her remaining kidney.

Most people with early-stage kidney cancer have no obvious symptoms, but as the tumor grows larger, it can cause dull pain in the lumbar region, blood in the urine, or even a palpable mass.

For kidney cancer, the main treatment is surgery to remove the tumor, although in some cases chemotherapy or targeted therapy may be considered if there are metastases.

Dr. Duy also recommends that to prevent cancer, people should avoid smoking, abstain from alcohol, limit exposure to toxic chemicals, control weight and blood pressure, and maintain a healthy diet.

It is important that each person adheres to a regular health check-up schedule to promptly detect abnormalities in the body.

Regular health check-ups: Regular health check-ups are important, especially for people with risk factors.

Pay attention to physical symptoms: Symptoms such as persistent back pain, persistent cough or unexplained abdominal pain should be examined and checked thoroughly for early detection.

Healthy lifestyle: Control weight, blood pressure, maintain a scientific diet, limit salt and eat lots of vegetables and fruits, combined with regular exercise.

Doctors say that early detection of cancer can bring a higher chance of successful treatment, so paying attention to unusual signs in the body and participating in regular health check-ups is necessary.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/phat-hien-ung-thu-tu-cac-trieu-chung-thong-thuong-d255809.html