Mortality rate among lung cancer patients still high<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The mortality rate of lung cancer patients in the country remains
\nhigh although the equipment and facilities for diagnosis are
\nbetter than the last decade, a pulmonologist said.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Hudoyo, a pulmonologist at the Persahabatan Hospital in
\nEast Jakarta, said on Saturday that most new patients diagnosed
\nwith lung cancer can only survive for nine months.<\/p>\n
The hospital recorded a jump in new lung cancer cases in 2000
\nto 260 cases from 100 new cases in previous years, most of them
\nin the advanced stage.<\/p>\n
\"Only 10 percent of lung cancer patients in Jakarta and 5
\npercent in Surabaya can have surgery because they are still in
\nthe first stage while the rest are already in the third stage,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Addressing a seminar entitled: Update on Multidisciplinary
\nManagement of Cancer, Ahmad said patients with advanced lung
\ncancer formed only 13 percent of those who survived longer than
\nfive years.<\/p>\n
The five-year survival rate is commonly used to monitor the
\nprogress of patients who continue to live five years after
\ndiagnosis, whether they are in remission, disease-free, or under
\ntreatment.<\/p>\n
Ahmad said that heavy smoking, poverty, and inaccurate
\ndiagnosis were among the reasons why many patients came to the
\nhospitals for treatment when they were already in the advanced
\nstage of the disease.<\/p>\n
He added that heavy smokers were reluctant to undergo
\nscreening for early detection because lung cancer in the first
\nand second stages never showed any significant symptoms.<\/p>\n
\"They prefer taking regular medicine available in the
\ndrugstores if they get a severe cough or traditional medicine if
\nthey are diagnosed with cancer,\" Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
He said that smokers who smoke 25 cigarettes daily are 33
\ntimes more likely to develop lung cancer.<\/p>\n
\"Half of the male population above 15 years old in the country
\nare smokers and the new smoker rate is 17 percent annually. So
\nthey are more likely to develop this disease,\" Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
He, however, admitted that doctors' failure to diagnose the
\nillness also contributed to the patients' condition.<\/p>\n
\"Often, doctors diagnose the patient's cough as a symptom of
\ntuberculosis without further evaluation. The patients are asked
\nto get a thorough examination six months later after some severe
\nsymptoms emerge like a lump on the neck or swollen upper arm,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Ahmad suggested the patients have a CT-scan to get better
\nimages or auto fluorescence bronchoscope that could detect small
\ntumors because X-ray's limited sensitivity sometimes affected the
\ndoctor's early diagnosis.<\/p>\n
He added that poverty often limited patients access to early
\ndetection or cancer therapies. He said that each chemotherapy
\ntreatment may cost between Rp 7 million (US$781) and Rp 9
\nmillion.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mortality-rate-among-lung-cancer-patients-still-high-1447893297",
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