Lung cancer

This is not so much a cure for lung cancer but certainly an early warning methodology for early diagnosis and successful treatment .

A couple of years ago I had a fall downstairs while carrying some heavy stuff and so  crashing my chest into the wooden post at the bottom.

The pain in my chest was enough to cause me to go for a chest xray to see if I had cracked a rib.

The xray showed no crack but there was  a separate lesion which showed up  as  a quite small circular patch which a biopsy proved  was a very early stage lung cancer

The chest physician quized me on my occupation which had been managing plant fabrication in  a wide range of metals and alloys for many years with consequent exposure to workshop grinding dust and welding fume. It transpires that fine particles of several metallic elements ( in particular Nickel and Vanadium metal/alloys)   have been shown  to be carcinogenic .  Stainless steels and certain Titanium alloys also come to mind.

I opted to have the cancer- affected lung lobe surgically  removed. My  reduction in breathing capacity has been slight and entirely manageable with no recurrence of the problem

This was a lucky fall for me as it was caught before it had spread . it suggests  that it may  well be advisable to have periodic xray checks to locate any such cancer before spreading occurs  if one’s work is  in any such metal  processing . It also follows  that preventive measures to minimise fine airborne  particles in workshops are essential .Suitable masks are advisable too.

I would  add that to my surprise  the surgeon and team all lined up to shake my hand as I left their department  . One explained this by saying quietly  “We do not have very many such  successes in this department”

Malcolm Jones