French medicine has long been famous for its achievements in diagnostics and treatment of cancer. The latest effective techniques and technologies make it possible to detect lung cancer at its earliest stages. Highly qualified oncologists and thoracic surgeons in France treat malignant tumors using sparing methods and the latest drugs. Treatment of lung cancer in France at early stages can give full guarantee of healing, and at terminal stages – give a few years of a full life. Teamwork helps the professionals to achieve good results in the treatment of cancer. French doctors perform high-quality diagnostics using advanced equipment, order individual treatment adapted to each patient diagnosed with lung cancer. Free pros of treatment in France are the favorable climate and clean air.
Lung cancer and its stages
Lung cancer is a malignant tumor, where the body cells begin to divide and grow rapidly. This pathological process can affect either one lung or both. Usually, it begins with airway cells and then spreads to the entire body. The higher stage of the cancer is, the larger the tumor becomes. Due to its excessive growth, oxygen exchange in the blood is disturbed and breathing becomes difficult.
There are 2 types of lung cancer:
– Small-cell – the most progressive tumor; it grows and metastasizes rapidly, even at the early stages of the disease. It occurs in 20% of patients;
– Non-small cell – the most common type. It is characterized by slow growth and a low degree of metastasizing.
Metastases are tumors of other organs with rapid growth. They poison the body with decay products and disrupt its functioning.
Stages:
– 1A – the tumor is less than 3 cm, no metastases, nearby lymph nodes are not involved;
– 1B – the tumor is of about 5 cm, surrounding space and lymph nodes are not involved;
– 2A – the tumor is of 5-7 cm, metastases are possible;
– 2B – 7 cm tumor, neighboring lymph nodes are affected;
– 3A – the tumor is larger than 7 cm, diaphragm, pleura, and lymph nodes are affected;
– 3B – the tumor is large, affects cardiac membrane, lymph nodes, and goes to the middle of the chest;
– 4 – the tumor is of uncertain size, with metastases to any internal organs, a large volume of fluid in the lung and heart regions.
More recently, lung cancer at the terminal stages sounded like a death sentence to a patient. Currently, treatment of cancer in France helps even in the most severe cases. It can bring back to life even hopeless patients.
Diagnostics of lung cancer
Before ordering an appropriate treatment for a malignant tumor in the lungs, a patient must undergo full and qualitative testing. Diagnostics help to determine the tumor, its type, size, location, and helps to identify metastases. The more data about the state of health of a patient is available, the more effective the treatment will be and the faster the patient is healed.
French hospitals have high-precision equipment, and diagnosticians use unique diagnostic techniques. All this together helps to detect tumors even at an early stage, when there are no symptoms. It is important to know that the diagnostics of lung cancer is a difficult task for any specialist. This disease can be at the back of inflammation or abscess or can be similar to tuberculosis. Timely detection of a tumor will greatly increase chances for long life and will reduce the treatment period.
At the slightest suspicion of lung cancer, you should urgently undergo comprehensive testing. It includes X-ray examination, complete blood count and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), bronchoscopy and taking tissue samples for biopsy, blood tests for tumor markers. When the test results are questionable, specialists can perform a diagnostic operation, which will help to more accurately determine the diagnosis.
Lung Cancer Treatment
Many patients are interested in how much the treatment of lung cancer in France will cost. The cost directly depends on the technique selected according to the type and stage of the tumor and the patient’s general state of health. Sometimes only surgery can help, but in most cases, complex treatment is used. It consists of several techniques and allows to successfully fight the tumor at different stages, regardless of the type of lung cancer.
Methods of treatment of lung cancer in France:
– Surgery (operation). It is used at early stages and in case of the small size of a tumor. Not only the affected tissue but also some part of the healthy tissue is eliminated. If the operation is performed in time, the patient is cured. Elimination of a larger tumor can alleviate the patient’s condition for some time (airways are cleared, the patient can breathe on his/her own);
– Chemotherapy (intake of chemicals). It is often used either before the operation or after it to destroy possible residues of cancer cells. It can be used either as pills or through intravenous administration. Such treatment is quite long, it takes several weeks to several months. This method has side effects, that is why the therapy is provided in courses. Courses help the patient to recover from the harmful effects of drugs;
– Radiation therapy (high-energy rays). It can be the main treatment, or it can be used after surgery to achieve a persistent effect. Radiotherapy copes with cancer and metastases well. It has a useful therapeutic effect on oncological diseases; Radiosurgery
– Targeted therapy (medication). One of the newest methods. Targeted drugs are targeted to specific weaknesses of a tumor. They significantly reduce its blood supply, or block the chemicals that contribute to the growth and division of bad cells;
– Immune therapy. This method is intended to improve the protective functions of the body. Today, it is an excellent tool in the fight against cancer, in addition to any other method of treatment, it makes it more effective and increases the likelihood of recovery.
An oncologist together with other experts in the field of oncology selects the tactics and method of treatment. Lung cancer is one of the diseases that are difficult to treat. However, owing to the latest developments, chances of recovery have increased several times. France is the world leader in the field of the treatment of cancer. Treatment in this country guarantees the recovery and return to a full life for those patients, who were refused by other international clinics.
Rehabilitation of patients in remission plays an important role. French clinics have everything you need to carry out rehabilitation in full. Comfortable conditions, friendly staff, adequate and proper nutrition, maintenance therapy – all of these are at the highest level. Even celebrities come to France for medical treatment to improve their health.
Causes and symptoms of lung cancer
Processes of pathological regeneration of healthy cells into cancer ones are not fully understood. Some studies have helped to identify certain chemicals, which promote cell transformation. The reasons can be classified into two groups:
– beyond human’s control – genetic predisposition, age above 50 years, frequent inflammatory diseases of the bronchopulmonary system, endocrine system failures;
– human-dependent factors – smoking, poor environment, radioactive contamination, professional contacts (with asbestos, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, chromium, radon, and other harmful contacts).
Some types of lung cancer may be asymptomatic. Only when a tumor becomes large, the disease can begin to manifest itself. Still, there are some signals of the body you must pay attention to:
– Persistent shortness of breath and cough;
– Blood spitting;
– Regular chest pain;
– Hoarseness;
– Sudden loss of weight in a short time, and absence of appetite;
– Constant apathy and fatigue;
– Muscle pain;
– Increased body temperature in the absence of disease;
– It is hard to breathe and swallow.
All these symptoms can be single or combined. Remember, lung cancer is an insidious disease, it is able to be at the back of harmless diseases. That is why it is an important time to undergo testing. X-ray examination or X-ray fluorography must be done once a year. A healthy lifestyle, no smoking, and no alcohol increase the odds not to face this terrible disease.
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