Not just for smokers: What you need to know about lung cancer

Contrary to popular belief, lung cancer does not only affect people who always smoke.

Ronaldo Peralta smoked for about one year during his college days and has stopped for thirty years and counting. But he started experiencing the symptoms of lung cancer last year.

“My voice became hoarse, but I didn’t have a cold or cough. I got worried when two weeks went by and the hoarseness was still there,” he said.

Hoarseness of voice is a symptom of lung cancer, according to oncologist Dr. Anna Marie-Pascual-Panganiban.

After several medical tests, Peralta was shocked to find himself diagnosed with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive lung cancer last year. He admitted that neither he nor his doctor knew what the cause was- only that it was a genetic mutation.

Because of chemotherapy and ‘new medicines’ in the market, Peralta has been a lung cancer survivor for 18 months as he advocates lung cancer awareness.

He shared his experiences with doctors and members of the media during a press briefing of Lung Cancer Awareness Month at Grand Hyatt Hotel, BGC, on Friday afternoon.

At the same event, several Filipino doctors from the Philippine Society of Medical Oncologists advocated for increased lung cancer awareness and early diagnosis for longer survival.

This is in line with the society’s celebration of the International Lung Cancer Awareness Month, held every November.

The theme of this year’s Lung Cancer Awareness Month was embodied in the hashtag #NoExcusesforLungCancer, which represented the doctors’ call to action.

LOOK: Non-smoker and lung cancer patient Ronaldo B. Peralta wants to break the stigma that only smokers can be diagnosed.

"Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer," he said, during a media briefing of Lung Cancer Awareness Month at Grand Hyatt Hotel, BGC. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/AivaVo8Lfz

— Angelica Y. Yang (@angelicayyang) November 8, 2019

Lung cancer

“Lung cancer is a disease in which cancer cells or malignant cells form in the tissues of the lungs. Smoking remains to be the biggest risk for the development of lung cancer, as tobacco contains 7000 chemicals, and at least 70 of these cause cancer,” said Panganiban, an oncologist from the St. Luke’s Medical Center QC & Global City.

She added that other risk factors include exposure to second-hand smoke, diesel fumes, asbestos, cancer-causing agents, or having a prior family history of lung cancer.

According to her, one of the symptoms of lung cancer include hoarseness of voice, which Peralta once experienced.

“[Other] symptoms include persistent cough, presence of blood in the phlegm or mucus, pain in the chest or back area, shortness of breath and difficulty of breathing,” Panganiban said.

In 2015, lung cancer was the second leading cancer in the Philippines and the number one cause of death among cancers, according to a report from the Philippine Cancer Society in cooperation with the Department of Health (DOH).

“If diagnosed at an early stage, patients with lung cancer are 13 times more likely to survive for five years. Unfortunately, majority of Filipinos with lung cancer are diagnosed at a late and incurable stage,” according to the Lung Cancer Awareness Month press release.

LOOK: Doctors push for increased lung cancer awareness as they celebrate Lung Cancer Awareness Month this November. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/CNro1OnBlz

— Angelica Y. Yang (@angelicayyang) November 8, 2019

Hope for treatment

The doctors noted that a lot of Filipinos think that chemotherapy is the ‘ultimate treatment’ for lung cancer, but there are other treatments as well, such as low-dose CT scans and precision medicine, among others.

Dr. Dennis Ramon Tudtud, a medical oncologist from the Perpetual Succour Hospital and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, suggested that people with an increased risk of lung cancer should undergo annual low-dose CT scans.

Panganiban agreed with this as low-dose CT scans were the only-approved method of screening for lung cancer.

“Low dose CT scan can detect lung cancer earlier than chest x-rays, and hence, save more lives,” she said.

“Marami na ngayong treatment. So it's not just chemotherapy… Last recourse ang chemotherapy,” said Philippine General Hospital medical oncologist Dr, Jorge Ignacio, adding that precision medicine can also help in “looking for cancer cells in the body.”

Ignacio believes that there is hope for lung cancer patients.

“"All our lung cancer patients should have [the chance] to always look for the sunrise in their life…There is always hope. Hahaba pa ang buhay niyo. Kailangan lang natin magpatingin sa tamang mga doctor at sa mga cancer centers sa ating bansa,” he said. —JST, GMA News