Lung tumor

Lung tumors, also called bronchogenic carcinoma (Lung Carcinoma), are one of the common malignant tumors. In recent decades, both the incidence and mortality of lung cancer have shown a significant increasing trend. Early diagnosis of lung cancer is an effective way to improve treatment outcomes, and advances in imaging and sputum cytology have provided favorable conditions for the early diagnosis of lung cancer. Lung tumors have become the leading cause of cancer death in humans. Some experts state that lung cancer and AIDS are the two most serious diseases endangering human health related to poor lifestyle habits in this century. Among 28 developed countries, lung cancer has become the most common cause of cancer death among malignant tumors. Data indicate that the incidence of lung cancer in China will show a significant upward trend over a considerable period. Lung tumors are mostly primary, but can also be metastatic. Among primary lung tumors, malignant ones are more common, with the most frequent being lung cancer originating from the bronchial mucosal epithelium, hence also called bronchogenic carcinoma or primary pulmonary sarcoma. Primary bronchogenic lung cancer, referred to as lung cancer (tumor) for short, is the most common primary malignant tumor of the lung. In at least 35 countries worldwide, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men, and in women it is second only to breast cancer in mortality. The disease typically occurs after age 40, with the peak age of onset between 60 and 79 years. The male-to-female ratio is 2.3:1. Race, family history, and smoking all influence the incidence of lung cancer. In China, among cancer deaths, lung cancer ranks fourth among common malignant tumors in men and fifth in women. Lung cancer has the following two basic types: 1. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or oat cell type: one-third of lung cancer patients belong to this type; 2. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) type: one-third of lung cancer patients belong to this type. This distinction is quite important because the treatment strategies for these two types of lung cancer are completely different. Patients with small cell lung cancer are mainly treated with traditional Chinese medicine or chemotherapy. Surgical treatment does not play a major role for patients with this type of lung cancer. On the other hand, surgical treatment is mainly applicable to patients with non-small cell lung cancer. There is also another type of cancer called argentaffinoma. In general, the treatment outcomes of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer are not satisfactory. The treatment of lung tumors should be a multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment involving surgery, traditional Chinese medicine, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. The treatment effects of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy for lung cancer have not significantly improved in the past decade, and the overall cure rate is very low. The main reason is that the biological characteristics of lung cancer are very complex and highly malignant, with 80% of lung cancer patients already at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Early surgical resection of the cancer mass is certainly important, but combined comprehensive treatment with traditional Chinese medicine, addressing both the symptoms and the root cause, is equally important.