Sharmila Tagore had stage zero lung cancer, didn’t need chemo: Can this lead to full recovery or can it relapse?
Recently, actor Soha Ali Khan revealed how her mother Sharmila Tagore was diagnosed with stage zero lung cancer and that the cancerous cells were removed without her requiring any chemotherapy. And that she could resume a normal life after it.
“This means that the cancer is limited to the lining of the lungs and has not breached the protective barrier, what we call the basal membrane, that separates different cell and tissue types. At this stage, the cancer is non-invasive, so there is a high chance of recovery,” says Dr Sajjan Rajpurohit, Senior Director, Medical Oncology at BLK-Max Super Specialty Hospital, Delhi.
What is Stage Zero lung cancer?
Stage Zero lung cancer, also referred to as non-small cell lung cancer, is the earliest stage at which the disease can be detected. It involves surgical removal, usually through lobectomy, which involves removing one of the affected lobes of the lung, which can be the right upper, middle, or lower lobe, or the left upper or lower lobes. The remaining lung tissue then grows and expands to fill up the space left by the removal of the lobe.
How is it diagnosed?
Stage Zero lung cancer is largely asymptomatic, hence it is very difficult to diagnose. Only 1 to 2 per cent of lung cancer cases get diagnosed at this early stage. Among the elderly, the detection happens quite by accident when they come in to get themselves tested for other respiratory disorders or COPD (Chronic Pulmonary Lung Disease).
Are there any symptoms?
Rarely, there may be blood in sputum. But there is no persistent cough, breathlessness or chest pain. If you have them, they are because of conditions like pneumonia or asthma. In fact, during COVID, we could detect some cases of Stage Zero lung cancer because every affected senior citizen was getting a detailed work-up done. That’s how detection happens.
What about treatment?
After lobectomy that I mentioned above, there are a few localised therapies, like photodynamic therapy, which uses light along with a light-sensitive drug to destroy cancer cells. Then there is laser therapy, which uses focused light beams to target and destroy cancer cells. Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy. A patient doesn’t need any chemotherapy or targetted therapy at this stage.
After recovering from surgery, a person shouldn’t have any physical limitations.
Can the cancer return?
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Stage zero lung cancer has a relapse possibility of 10 to 15 per cent. It can also be a risk factor for developing another kind of primary cancer. So a person may be more likely to develop a new, unrelated cancer in a lung or any part of the body. Which is why regular lung health monitoring is mandatory and a patient has to be vigilant.
What about prevention?
Quit smoking. Protect yourself from environmental pollutants that might increase your risk of lung cancer (including those at work). Have a balanced diet and never miss exercise.
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