Lung Cancer Survival Doubles With Advances In Modern Therapies, Says Expert
KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Bernama) -- Lung cancer, long known as a 'silent killer' and consistently among the top three causes of cancer-related deaths in Malaysia, is now seeing a shift in outlook.
Clinical Oncologist at Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City (SMC), Dr David Lee Dai Wee said, thanks to advances in modern therapies, patient survival rates are doubling, offering new hope where it was once scarce.
He highlighted that nearly 60 percent of lung cancer patients in Malaysia are only diagnosed at stage four, the most advanced stage, with a five-year survival rate of less than 15 percent, according to the National Cancer Registry.
'In the early stages, such as stage one or two, patients often experience no symptoms at all. As a result, lung cancer is frequently diagnosed at a later stage when symptoms begin to appear. These may include a persistent cough lasting two to three weeks or longer,' he told Bernama.
Other symptoms may include coughing up blood (hemoptysis), chest pain during breathing, shortness of breath and unexplained weight loss, said Dr Lee, adding that the spread of cancer to other organs may also cause pain in different parts of the body.
He noted that while tobacco smoking is responsible for around 80 percent of lung cancer cases, exposure to secondhand smoke, hazardous substances such as asbestos and coal, as well as genetic predisposition, also contribute significantly to the disease's risk profile.
Dr Lee also highlighted that 20 to 30 percent of lung cancer patients in Asia are non-smokers, challenging the common misconception that only smokers are affected, a belief that may lead patients or primary care doctors to delay further testing to determine whether symptoms are related to lung cancer.
'But now, due to advances, firstly in molecular pathology, we are able to run this test called Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), which allows us to read the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of the cancer cells and understand them better.
'And this has significantly improved treatment for this type of cancer. So, for example, let's say in a hundred patients of lung cancer that I see, about 50 percent have this genetic change called Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutation,' he said.
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