Where can one get testing for lung cancer in Kenya, especially the recommended “annual screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT)” and how much does this screening cost if one doesn’t have a medical cover?
I have a relative who has had a persistent cough for years now, has been a smoker for like 40 years now and has had noticeable weight loss. All these are known to point towards a likelihood of this, the deadliest of cancers. But the test, of course, is the best way to know what is what…
News of Janet Kanini-Ikua’s situation in India has also got me thinking hard (and I doubt Janet was a smoker).
So who knows a good, affordable place for screening?
An x-ray or CT scan is the first point of diagnosis. As a norm, in a majority of cases, a lump would be noticed on the xray or CT scan
after which a sample is taken and a biopsy carried out to determine it it is indeed cancer
What follows next is a series of chemotherapy sessions to reduce the size of the lump to be as small as possible before an operation is carried out
to remove the lump. Some lumps are usually the size of a golf ball but after chemo, they become pea sized and can be surgically removed with minimal risk of complication
If chemotherapy is not effective or does not bring about the desired results, radiotherpy is then ccarried out though it is more harmful
and has more side effects when compared to chemo
Lymph nodes on the repiratory tract are also tested to ascertain if they have been infected
X-ray costs around 200o shillings but in a small number of cases, it is n0on-conclusive and might even give false results. For
instance, if the cancerous lump is located on the extreme upper part of the lungs, it might go unnoticed. In a majority of positive cases,
the affected lung seems to be covered “in a layer of white skin”, this is usually the resuolt of fluid accumulating in the lungs due to the
infection
A CT scan costs around 6500 at Nairobi west hospital but you most likely have to pay something extra for t he consultation
and interpretation of the results
On this, I go with @tm wa klist. A chest specialist (pulmonologist) is best placed to determine whatever diagnostic imaging is required after thorough examination.
And, to all smokers in this village, if you thought that lung cancer is the worst that can befall you, you’ve got another thought coming. COPD is pure torture!!
COPD is serious kuruka, my uncle has it.sio mchezo. This days the guy doesn’t even leave his crib for fear of getting a cold, and when he leaves he wears a something to cover his nose, coz he knows akipata homa atakula hewa kama chakula. Told me it feels like your diaphragm has siezed working.
Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the world after cigarette smoking of course and the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Problem is it occurs naturally in the soil. When I get a chance I will post a thread about it. Alternatively feel free to check it out on the internet.
I’m not linking this to Janet’s situation but I feel like most people have no clue about the silent killer radon