Insights into Lung Cancer
Lung cancer, primarily non-small cell (NSCLC) and small cell types, is a leading cause of cancer deaths globally, strongly linked to smoking. In non-smokers, especially women in Asia, EGFR mutations drive adenocarcinoma. Air pollution and occupational exposures contribute increasingly.
Clinical Presentation, Staging, and Surgical Expertise
Symptoms include persistent cough, hemoptysis, shortness of breath, chest pain, or weight loss. Low-dose CT screening benefits high-risk smokers.
Accurate staging via PET-CT and EBUS-guided biopsies guides therapy. Surgery offers cure for early-stage NSCLC. Lobectomy or segmentectomy, often video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS), removes the tumor with negative margins.
Dr. Kapil Kadian provides expert surgical evaluation, employing minimally invasive VATS/robotic approaches for precise resection, reduced pain, and quicker recovery. Sleeve resections preserve lung function in central tumors.
For locally advanced disease, neoadjuvant immunotherapy/chemotherapy downstages tumors for operability. Targeted therapies (TKIs for mutations) and immunotherapy revolutionize management of advanced cases.
Multidisciplinary input from pulmonologists and radiation oncologists optimizes outcomes. Smoking cessation programs are integral.
Quitting smoking at any age drastically lowers risk. With modern surgical techniques and molecular testing, 5-year survival for stage I lung cancer exceeds 80%, underscoring the value of specialized thoracic onco-surgery.