Suara.com – Several diseases may cause similar symptoms. Especially diseases related to the respiratory tract that often cause cough.
Lung cancer and tuberculosis (TB) includes diseases with similar symptoms. Early detection checks are also not much different. Therefore, doctors recommend that if you experience respiratory symptoms for more than two weeks, you should immediately detect these two diseases.
“Respiratory symptoms for more than 2 weeks such as coughing, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chest pain, we must be suspicious. If the TB (test) is negative, we still have to suspect it is lung cancer or not. So early detection of lung cancer must coincide with TB detection. , said the pulmonary specialist dr. Sita Laksmi, PhD., Sp.P(K)., in the LungTalk webinar, Tuesday (23/11/2021).
He added, a person who has experienced respiratory symptoms must be referred for a CT scan without contrast at a level 2 health facility or a specialist in a general hospital.
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Doctor Sita explained that screening and detection are different medical procedures. Screening is carried out on people who have not experienced symptoms but have risk factors for the disease. While early detection is carried out on people who have experienced early symptoms.
Although he has not experienced any symptoms, he suggested that people who are close to the triggering factors for lung cancer and TB should be screened regularly. Because, if symptoms have arisen, usually the disease is already in a more severe condition.
“People who are at high risk are men over the age of 45 years with a history of smoking and occupations with a risk of pulmonary fibrosis such as exposure to chemicals. Also passive smoking,” he explained.
He reminded, people who become active smokers have a 13-fold risk of developing lung cancer. While passive smokers have 8 times the risk.
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