Journey Of A Lung Cancer Patient

Neethu Sheri Kurian

Content Specialist
4baseCare

When a patient experiences any of the following symptoms like cough, wheezing, weakness, weight loss, coughing up blood, and shortness of breath with chest pain, they should seek medical attention. The person is asked to take the tests by the doctor and if the findings are abnormal, additional tests such as a scope, X-ray, MRI, CT, PET scan, and a biopsy are indicated. The terms spot, bump, lump, abnormal cells, and atypical cells are used to describe the tumours in the lungs, and then it is inferred as LUNG CANCER. 

Counseling and support 

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, working with a mental health professional to cope with the issues is very important. As cancer is a life-threatening illness, physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, anorexia and fatigue are common due to the intrusive nature of this disease and its treatment leads to psychological distress among cancer patients. Fears of death, disfigurement, dependency, disability will be added to a patient’s mental trauma. Counseling help in dealing with these uncertainties and assist patients in knowing how to communicate openly with the healthcare team, family and friends, adjust to changes, identify resources, and deal with work, career and financial difficulties, as well as make crucial decisions. The use of talk therapy with the patient is frequently recommended as strong support is essential for emotional well-being.

Importance of genetic counseling

Genetic counseling is a technology-driven, person-centred approach to genetics. Genetic counselors are healthcare experts who are specialised in medical genetics and counseling assist patients in understanding the inherited causes of health problems. They advise patients in enhancing an individual’s health and support decision-making concerning their condition. They review various alternatives for genetic testing and help to make an informed decision about it. Counseling can help you understand the potential benefits and concerns of genetic testing. Counseling can help you understand the potential benefits and concerns of genetic testing both before and after you have it done. During a session, genetic counselors will assess patient cancer histories, inherited cancer risks, demystify genetic concepts, provide assistance to cancer-prone individuals, and empower patients to make informed decisions. They also aid in the propagation of targeted therapy awareness and the understanding of precision cancer care and the options accessible. 

Precision medicine experts along with genetic counselors at cancer treatment centres will work to explain what to expect from genetic tests and how that information may be utilised to build a treatment. Precision medicine is a fast-evolving field of medicine, thus advanced genomic tests and revolutionary treatments like targeted therapy and immunotherapy should be chosen based on the patient’s individual circumstances. In the age of precision medicine, genetic counselors serve as social and behavioural scientists.

Treatment

Following are the treatment options available depending on the type of lung cancer:

• Surgery:  It is a procedure in which surgeons remove cancerous tissue from the body.
• Chemotherapy: Medicines are used to shrink or kill cancer cells in the form of pills (consumed orally) or medicines that are injected into the veins, or both.
• Radiation therapy: High-energy rays are exactly focused on cancer to kill cancer cells.
• Immunotherapy: It is a cancer-fighting treatment that uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve the body’s natural defences. 
• Targeted therapy: This therapy focuses on the changes of cancer cells.  Before this therapy is initiated, a few tests will be conducted to determine if it is appropriate for the type of cancer.

Targeted therapy 

Targeted therapy is a type of precision cancer treatment as it directs drugs aiming at specific genes and proteins (Biomarkers) that allow particular cancer to grow and survive. Oncologists rely on advanced genomic testing and other laboratory tests or diagnostic procedures to determine whether an available targeted therapy may benefit a patient. The goal of targeted therapy is to stop or slow tumour growth by interfering or attacking the genetic features of the cells that regulate growth and division with specific drug therapy targeting that genetic feature responsible for tumour growth. 

Personalized Cancer Medicine

Comprehensive genomic profiling is a next-generation sequencing approach of genetic testing that uses a single assay to assess hundreds of genes and relevant cancer biomarkers for therapy guidance. The treatment using “personalized medicine” is based on one’s genes and specific disease. The approach of treatment depending upon the study of genes for the selection of personalized cancer medicine can also be called “Precision medicine.” A personalized cancer medicine comes from studies of the genes in different cancers which are specific to a particular person and the type of biomarker involved. It can have fewer side effects than other types of treatment as it is designed to be more specific to cancer cells without affecting healthy cells. This can make cancer treatment more effective with fewer side effects.