2024-01-03 19:00:50
Tumors remain among the three main causes of mortality worldwide. Although the most worrying thing is that most cases are identified until they are in advanced stages. Specifically with the lung cancerObtain a timely diagnosis It is one of the keys to increasing the chances of salvation.
First of all, it is necessary to remember that this neoplasia represents a public health problem in Mexico. According to the study “Main barriers in the care-seeking trajectories of patients with lung cancer. Difficulties during therapeutic hospital navigation itineraries for early diagnosis and treatment”each year it generates 10 thousand new cases and approximately more than 7 thousand deaths.
For its part, the Ministry of Health (SSa) affirms that the lung cancer It is the fourth cause of death in the country and ranks seventh in the incidence of malignant tumors.
Now, beyond the numbers, it is essential to identify the difficulties that these patients have in achieving early diagnosis and timely, quality treatment.
“The qualitative study that we carried out for the first time gave a voice to patients living with lung cancer, who told us about their hospital journey in search of medical care, the difficulties they faced in reaching the diagnosis and then the treatment,” he indicates. Fanny Romero, director of Respirando con Valor.
Why does the diagnosis of lung cancer take so long?
One of the most serious aspects of this disease is that the majority of patients with lung cancer receive their diagnosis when the disease is in stage III or IV. The reasons behind this phenomenon are very varied, although the main ones are the following.
Overconfidence Self-medication Lack of knowledge of the disease Feelings of guilt Fear of stigmatization Resignation of patients towards the disease
Added to the above are also individual barriers, economic, family, medical and centralization of health services. Together they cause the tumor to evolve into a fatal health problem.
One of the reasons that explain the high mortality of lung cancer is that in 98% of cases they are diagnosed in advanced stages, because this type of tumor does not always cause symptoms when it begins. Therefore, it is important to train first-contact medical personnel so that they can develop timely diagnoses.
Symptoms of lung cancer
Persistent or worsening cough. Chest pain. Difficulty breathing. Wheezing. Coughing up blood. Feeling tired all the time. Weight loss without known cause.
Data from a study carried out by the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) indicate that around 40% of lung cancers in Mexico occurred in non-smokers. The cause was attributed to exposure to wood smoke.
Worldwide, also during 2020, it is estimated that there were 2 million cases of lung cancer and around 1.8 million deaths from this cause, according to information from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) of the World Health Organization ( WHO).
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