Jakarta, IO – Lung cancer is a type of neoplasm that is hard to detect, as its symptoms are only felt when it has reached an advanced stage. Therapy in lung cancer management must be comprehensive, and it must be supported by correct diagnosis to ensure its optimality.
MRCCC Siloam Hospitals’ specialist in internal disease/hematology and oncology medical consultant, dr. Jeffry Beta Tenggara, Sp.PD-KHOM, reiterates that lung cancer is hard to detect in the early stages. “Most lung cancer cases are only diagnosed when already advanced, when the cancer is widely spread and damage to the body’s organs is equally extensive. People who find out that they have lung cancer mostly discover it when they were taking an ordinary thorough medical checkup,” he commented in an interview in Jakarta last Saturday (13/08/2022).
Lung cancer patients usually complain of persistent coughing, difficulty in breathing, coughing up blood, hoarse voice, and loss of weight. It is only when they reached such an advanced stage that patients get themselves checked by the doctor. However, no doctor can easily conclude a diagnosis of cancer just because the patient complains of these symptoms, because they are not just found in cancer patients. A number of checks must be made to ensure that the patient really is suffering from cancer – anamnesis, physical check, and X-ray check. If the physician suspects that a cancer is lurking, they might order a CT (computerized tomography) scan and/or a PET (positron emission tomography) scan to confirm it. “Furthermore, biopsies are also necessary to confirm whether or not it is cancer. Your doctor will not be able to confirm a cancer diagnosis without biopsy data,” dr. Jeffry said.