SUMMARY:
Faridabad`s Fortis Escorts Hospital is the first hospital to introduce the latest, state-of-the-art technology in the field of interventional pulmonology, the Cryotechnique which will enable biopsies of endobronchial tumors (tumors inside the windpipe) and will be crucial in improving clinical outcomes for lung cancer patients.
Fortis Escorts Faridabad introduces Cryotechnique for lung cancer treatment.
Fortis Escorts Hospital, is the first hospital in Faridabad to introduce the latest, state-of-the-art technology in the field of interventional pulmonology, the Cryotechnique.
The technology will enable biopsies of endobronchial tumors (tumors inside the windpipe) and will be crucial in improving clinical outcomes for lung cancer patients.
The technique has been introduced under the aegis of Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, additional director and consultant, pulmonology, Fortis Escorts Hospital Faridabad.
“The pulmonology OPD has been witnessing an influx in the number of lung cancer patients. Now we see approximately10-12 newly diagnosed cases of lung cancer every month. Whereas 5 years back, we used to have around4 cases per month. The upsurge is being seen in the younger population. Cryo-technology helps in early diagnosis and palliative care in later stages of cancer also. The minimally invasive procedure is used to remove larger cancerous outgrowths in the lung using a freezing process that prevents bleeding which occurs with a normal biopsy. This is one of the safest procedures for tumor debulking. Other equally important roles of Cryoinvolve diagnosis of ILD (Interstitial lung disease), Sarcoidosis (an inflammatory disease that affects one or more organs), Lymphoma (cancer that begins in infection-fighting cells of the immune system), removal of foreign body and blood clots from lung, recanalization of an obstructive tracheal and/or bronchial tumor, and diagnosis and treatment of Carcinoid tumor (a tumor that often begins in the stomach),” said Dr. Jha.
Dr. Ajay Dogra, Facility Director, Fortis Healthcare, said, “As a leading healthcare delivery provider, we are constantly upgrading the technology used in the treatment of Non-Communicable and Communicable Diseases. The last few years have seen an increase in lung and other cancer cases due to increasing pollution and other factors such as unhealthy lifestyles, lack of exercise, rise in tobacco use, and imbalanced diets. By bringing in advanced technology in cancer care, we are trying to make maximum efforts for the timely and accurate detection of various types of cancer cases to improve treatment outcomes.”
According to WHO, Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020. The most common causes of cancer death in 2020 were lungs related with about 1.80 million deaths. Around one-third of deaths from cancer are due to tobacco use, high body mass index, alcohol use, low fruit and vegetable intake, and lack of physical activity. With timely diagnos today using advanced methods, cancer treatment can have better outcomes with a marked reduction.
What is Cryo Techniques?
Cryotechniques are a group of related procedures for stabilizing, or “fixing” specimens for microscopic observation. Samples are rapidly frozen to maintain cellular structure and composition as it exists under physiological conditions, such as electrolyte concentration and protein antigenicity.
The prevalence of lung cancer worldwide:
Lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, after breast cancer, and its incidence continues to grow. In 2020, an estimated 2.2 million new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed globally, accounting for approximately 11.4% of the global cancer burden.
What is lung cancer?
Lung cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells that line the air passages. It is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women.
Types of lung cancer:
There are 2 main types of lung cancer and they are treated very differently.
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
About 80% to 85% of lung cancers are NSCLC. The main subtypes of NSCLC are adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma. These subtypes, which start from different types of lung cells are grouped together as NSCLC because their treatment and prognoses (outlook) are often similar.
Adenocarcinoma: Adenocarcinomas start in the cells that would normally secrete substances such as mucus.
This type of lung cancer occurs mainly in people who currently smoke or formerly smoked, but it is also the most common type of lung cancer seen in people who don’t smoke. It is more common in women than in men, and it is more likely to occur in younger people than other types of lung cancer.
Adenocarcinoma is usually found in the outer parts of the lung and is more likely to be found before it has spread.
People with a type of adenocarcinoma called adenocarcinoma in situ (previously called bronchioloalveolar carcinoma) tend to have a better outlook than those with other types of lung cancer.
Squamous cell carcinoma: Squamous cell carcinomas start in squamous cells, which are flat cells that line the inside of the airways in the lungs. They are often linked to a history of smoking and tend to be found in the central part of the lungs, near a main airway (bronchus).
Large cell (undifferentiated) carcinoma: Large cell carcinoma can appear in any part of the lung. It tends to grow and spread quickly, which can make it harder to treat. A subtype of large cell carcinoma, known as large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, is a fast-growing cancer that is very similar to small cell lung cancer.
Other subtypes: A few other subtypes of NSCLC, such as adenosquamous carcinoma and sarcomatoid carcinoma, are much less common.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
About 10% to 15% of all lung cancers are SCLC and it is sometimes called oat cell cancer.
This type of lung cancer tends to grow and spread faster than NSCLC. About 70% of people with SCLC will have cancer that has already spread at the time they are diagnosed. Since this cancer grows quickly, it tends to respond well to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Unfortunately, for most people, the cancer will return at some point.
Other types of lung tumors
Along with the main types of lung cancer, other tumors can occur in the lungs.
Lung carcinoid tumors: Carcinoid tumors of the lung account for fewer than 5% of lung tumors. Most of these grow slowly. For more information about these tumors, see Lung Carcinoid Tumor.
Other lung tumors: Other types of lung cancer such as adenoid cystic carcinomas, lymphomas, and sarcomas, as well as benign lung tumors such as hamartomas are rare. These are treated differently from the more common lung cancers and are not discussed here.
Cancers that spread to the lungs: Cancers that start in other organs (such as the breast, pancreas, kidney, or skin) can sometimes spread (metastasize) to the lungs, but these are not lung cancers. For example, cancer that starts in the breast and spreads to the lungs is still breast cancer, not lung cancer. Treatment for metastatic cancer to the lungs is based on where it started (the primary cancer site).
About Fortis Escorts hospital:
Fortis Healthcare Limited (FHL) is an Indian multinational chain of private hospitals headquartered in India. Fortis started its health care operations from Mohali where first Fortis hospital was started. Later on, the hospital chain purchased the healthcare branch of Escorts group and increased its strength in various parts of the country. The Escorts Heart and research Center, Okhla, Delhi became a major operating unit of the chain. The FMRI hospital at Gurgaon is the headquarter of Fortis healthcare with all the major facilities at the hospital. Currently, the company operates its healthcare delivery services in India, Dubai and Sri Lanka with 36 healthcare facilities.