May 27, 2008
NST
FOR over 20 years, Teo Chee Bin has been smoking between 10 and 20 cigarettes per day.
The chain-smoker blames stress as the reason he picked up the habit. Though aware of the dangers of smoking, the 42-year-old could not make himself quit.
But three years ago, he finally kicked the habit.
"I was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005," he said, explaining his about-turn.
Teo suspected something was amiss when he had difficulty swallowing.
Thinking that it could be his stomach, he went for a thorough check-up. But the doctor could not find anything wrong with it.
He was referred to a specialist who found a tumour in his oesophagus. After a biopsy, Teo was told the bad news.
"At first I was scared. But I decided to seek a second opinion. I went to several doctors, even to those as far as Singapore. But all of them told me the same thing."
Teo had faith that he would beat the disease. After intensive treatment, which included chemotherapy, Teo?s cancer went into remission.
Unfortunately, last year there was a recurrence.
Rather than nursing negative thoughts, Teo was upbeat and again confident in overcoming the disease.
Only one thing gets him down. "I regret smoking. I should have known better than to smoke, knowing its ill-effects. I should have stopped a long time ago."
NCI Cancer Hospital consultant physician and medical oncologist Dr R Kananathan says since there is no proactive way of detecting lung cancer, most are already in stage three or four of the disease by the time they seek treatment.
"Some do not even have symptoms associated with lung cancer. They may have a stroke, which means the cancer has spread to the brain."
Dr Kananathan says because most lung cancer is caused by smoking, chronic smokers need to be aware of health changes. If they experience non-stop coughing for days (including coughing up blood) or start losing weight, they should seek medical attention.
"The problem is most ignore the symptoms. By the time they realise they are seriously ill, the tumour is already in an advanced stage of growth.
"Seventy per cent are already in stage three or four. Only in a few cases are they able to detect it early enough."
If the cancer is in stage one or two, cure is the goal of treatment. However, in stage three and four, treatment is focused on providing the best quality of life possible for the sick, he says.
"Sadly, treatment at these stages will not be effective. Fifty per cent survive another seven or nine months. The rest will not make it."
Dr Kananathan says smokers need to be aware of the effects of cigarette smoking.
"I have a patient who was a former smoker, who now has lung cancer. And his son is still smoking, even after being told about its dangers!
"But this does not mean education and awareness campaigns should cease. The Government should be strict on controlling smoking, especially in public places."
Lung cancer is the most common cancer and the number one killer among males in this country.
In 2003, there were 1,758 lung cancer cases in Peninsular Malaysia of which 13.8 per cent were male and 3.8 per cent, female.
Exposure to second-hand smoke is reported to be the main cause of lung cancer in women. Research has shown that non-smokers living with smokers have a 24 per cent risk of developing lung cancer when compared to other non-smokers.
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