28.07.2023 – 12:18
Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA
Hamburg (ots)
Smoking rate is increasing – especially among young people Fewer and fewer people are trying to give up smoking Early detection and specialized treatment centers increase the chance of successful therapy
People are smoking more in Germany again: The smoking rate is increasing, especially among young people, and fewer and fewer people are trying to give up smoking. On the occasion of World Lung Cancer Day on August 1st, the lung experts at the Hamburg Asklepios Kliniken urgently warn against reaching for cigarettes. At the same time, they emphasize the importance of specialized treatment teams.
“Smoking is the main risk factor for lung cancer – nine out of ten lung cancers in men can be traced back to smoking, and in women, who used to smoke less, at least six out of ten,” explains Dr. Maren Kirchhöfer, senior physician in thoracic surgery and head of the lung cancer center at the Asklepios Klinikum Harburg. Although it is well known how harmful smoking is, the number of smokers in Germany has increased significantly in the past three years: At the beginning of 2020, around 27% of the population still smoked, according to the German survey on smoking behavior (DEBRA) Long-term survey currently over 34%. A number makes Dr. Kirchhöfer is particularly worried: “I find it worrying that there are more smokers again in the 14 to 17 age group: at the end of 2022 it was almost 16 percent – almost twice as much as in previous years!” Since the overall risk of developing lung cancer increases with the duration of smoking, young smokers are particularly at risk of developing lung cancer in the course of their lives – unless they stop again.
This is exactly where the DEBRA survey shows another worrying trend: while in 2017/2018 more than 20% of all smokers made at least one serious attempt to quit smoking, the number steadily decreased in the following years. In 2022, only around 10% of smokers were trying to quit. dr Kirchhöfer, who offers professional tobacco cessation in Harburg, is concerned about these numbers and urges smokers: “Give life without a cigarette and thus your health a chance! Quitting smoking is difficult – but nobody has to do it alone. It There are now really good support programs, nicotine replacement products and strategies out there for people who are motivated.”
Decisive: Early diagnosis and experienced treatment teams
Due to the significantly increased risk of lung cancer, Prof. Dr. Ralf Eberhardt, chief physician in pneumology at the Asklepios Klinik Barmbek, to allow smokers and former heavy smokers to have imaging examinations such as X-rays or CT scans carried out at an early stage in consultation with their family doctor or lung specialist. “Since there are few clear symptoms and these only appear as the disease progresses, lung cancer is unfortunately often not discovered until late,” he explains, adding: “At the same time, however, if lung cancer is discovered early, we have many more therapeutic options.”
In addition to timely diagnosis, one thing is particularly important for successful treatment, according to Prof. Dr. Eberhardt: “Lung cancer is a complex disease that should be treated by an interdisciplinary team of specialists.” The Asklepios Klinikum Harburg and the Asklepios Klinik Barmbek, as part of the Asklepios Tumor Center Hamburg, offer a network of all potentially required specialists – including pneumologists, thoracic surgeons, radiologists, oncologists and radiation and respiratory therapists . “All these experts come together in our interdisciplinary tumor conferences to plan the best possible treatment strategy for the individual patient,” explains the Barmbek chief physician.
Part of the treatment plan is determining the surgical procedure that is appropriate for the patient. Depending on the initial situation, open surgical or minimally invasive procedures, but also robot-assisted operations with the DaVinci® operating system are used. In addition to the right procedure, the experience of the surgeons is also of crucial importance – which is why Asklepios has bundled the surgical treatment of lung cancer in Hamburg in the two locations Harburg and Barmbek. “In this way we enable care close to home and at the same time we can guarantee our patients a high level of expertise,” explains Dr. Kirchhofer.
As the head of the Harburg Lung Cancer Center, a holistic view of patients, the disease and treatment, as well as support that goes beyond pure medical treatment, is particularly important to her: “In our clinics, for example, we offer psycho-oncological co-treatment that can help you develop your own strength and to create new orientation. Our social service provides support with organizational issues and we bring people in similar life situations together through self-help groups.”
Because despite all the advances in treatment, lung cancer remains a dramatic diagnosis and the cancer with the highest cancer-related mortality rate: throughout Germany, almost 60,000 people contract the disease every year, and more than 44,000 die as a result of the disease.
Fast appointment allocation via hotline
If there is a suspicion of lung cancer, those affected naturally want certainty as quickly as possible. In order to enable a short-term diagnostic clarification, both clinics have set up their own hotline for making appointments:
Harburg: Tel.: +49 40 18 18-86 35 59 (Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Barmbek: Tel. +49 40 18 18-82 20 20 (Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
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Original content from: Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA, transmitted by news aktuell