Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in New Zealand and kills more than 1,800 Kiwis each year. That’s more than the combined death toll of breast, prostate, and melanoma cancers.
Break these numbers down further and it’s sobering:
- 5 people die of lung cancer each day
- 6 get diagnosed with lung cancer every 24 hours
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Like many Kiwis, you might think you’re not at risk because you’ve never smoked. And yes, smoking causes 90% of lung cancers, but at least one in five people diagnosed with the disease have never smoked.
The chance you will still be alive five years after a lung cancer diagnosis is typically very poor in New Zealand: 9.5% for men and 11% for women. One reason is that most lung cancers are detected at an advanced stage and are, therefore, challenging to treat.
Despite these tragic numbers, only 37% of New Zealand adults have discussed lung health with their doctors. Yet learning to recognise and treat symptoms early on can dramatically improve lung cancer survival rates.
What is lung cancer?
In healthy bodies, cells grow and divide as needed. Old or abnormal cells die to give way to new cells. Cancer starts when cells in the body divide uncontrollably, and old cells don’t die when they should. Out-of-control cell division causes abnormal tissue growth that can develop into cancer tumours.
These malignant tumours potentially harm the healthy function of the lungs and other organs. True lung cancers begin in the lungs, but cancers from other parts of the body can also spread into these organs as secondary cancers.
Types of lung cancer
Lung cancer is categorised by how cells appear when viewed under a microscope. The two main types of lung cancer are:
- Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) comprises either small, oat-shaped cancer cells or a mix of small and large cancer cells. Both types spread quickly.
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is more common and affects around 85% of New Zealanders. NSCLC cells grow and spread slowly.
Causes & risk factors
Smoking sits number one on the list of lung cancer causes, with around 90% of lung cancers linked to tobacco use. That’s hardly surprising; cigarettes contain some 4,000 chemicals, including arsenic, cadmium, and many others known to cause cancer. Passive smoking also increases your vulnerability.
You have a high risk of developing lung cancer if you:
- Smoke, especially from young or over a long period
- Are exposed to second-hand smoke
- Have a history of lung cancer within the family
- Experience other types of lung disease
- Have a history of cancer.
Exposure to other carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) - such as asbestos, beryllium, silica, and coal fumes - may also cause lung cancer.
Lung cancer symptoms to look out for
If you catch symptoms early, your lung cancer survival rate increases markedly. Symptoms vary from patient to patient and may not always be obvious. See your doctor immediately if you experience the following:
But you should see your doctor immediately if you experience the following:
- A persistent cough that worsens over time
- Frequent lung or chest infections
- Blood in sputum
- Constant chest, back, or shoulder pain worsened by deep breathing, laughing, coughing
- Sudden shortness of breath during day-to-day activities
- Unexplained tiredness
- Weight loss.
New Zealand studies show that detecting the disease in its early stages and following an effective treatment plan can deliver a 70% five-year lung cancer survival rate.
Unfortunately, many Kiwis resist going to the doctor for what they regard as minor symptoms - one reason lung cancers are frequently missed. But if cost is an issue, most comprehensive health insurance policies will cover your GP or private specialist appointment for a really thorough check.
New Zealand studies show that if you detect the disease at an early-stage and follow an effective treatment plan, then a 70%, five-year lung cancer survival rate is achievable.
Private health insurance options for managing lung cancer
Many private medical insurance policies will cover the cost of expensive drugs from overseas that are either unavailable or non-funded in New Zealand. Book a 5-minute call-back with one of our Policywise advisers. We can help you compare some of the finest health insurance policies available, answer all your questions, and show how you can afford better healthcare.
Policywise is a 100% free advisory service which tells you which health, life, and disability insurance provider best fits your needs. We supply quotes and a comprehensive comparison of all leading providers. We identify maximum benefit amounts for treatments, non-Pharmac cover, inclusions, and exclusions, then create a simple, one-page summary clearly stating how our findings dovetail with your situation. We’ll take care of the sign-up process and can even lodge any claims on your behalf.
The quotes you get through Policywise are the same as buying direct. The insurers we partner with pay us a fee for our service. This fee is directly related to any insurance cover you take out through us and includes the support and claims servicing we supply (free of charge) for the life of your cover.
This process doesn’t change the premiums you pay, so you have absolutely nothing to lose. And as we are fully licensed to advise on all products across the market, we guarantee to find the best health insurance for you and your loved ones.
We also consistently achieve better outcomes for our customers at claim time than they typically do by buying their cover directly. Why not avoid the vulnerable position of challenging a denied claim with your insurer on your own?
Some health insurance policies also include consultations with other specialists who can offer second opinions and advice about your treatment plans. That’s priceless when dealing with all the questions that may come up in due course.
How is lung cancer detected?
If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned, your GP will advise you on how to undergo appropriate testing, such as:
- Chest x-ray (often reveals the first indicator of lung cancer)
- CT, PET-CT, or bone scan
- Bronchoscopy (a special camera looks inside your airways)
- Biopsy (samples of lung tissue are analysed for the presence of cancer).
Your medical team may also suggest additional tests. This helps them form a clear picture of your cancer and how best to treat it.
Stages of lung cancer
Staging is an important part of working out how advanced your cancer is and identifying the best treatment options.
Staging helps the doctors to pinpoint:
- Where the cancer cells are
- How big the tumour is
- How far the cancer has spread
Lung cancer staging uses the TNM classification, just like other cancers, such as breast cancer. In the TNM system, each cancer receives a ranking from 0 (least severe) to IV (most severe), based on:
(T) - Tumour size
If the tumour is small, then it’s easier to treat.
(N) - lymph Nodes with cancer cells
The measurement of cancer cells in the nodes helps to pinpoint how much cancer is present.
(M) - is the cancer Metastasising (spreading)?
This indicates whether cancer cells have spread into the lymphatic system, blood vessels, and other parts of the body.
small cell lung cancer stages
Doctors often use a two-stage system when classifying small cell lung cancer.
- Limited - cancer is found in one lung and possibly lymph tissue on the same side of the chest
- Extensive - cancer has spread beyond the lungs, lymph nodes, and to other body parts
Non small cell lung cancer stages
Doctors use the stages below as a starting point and will modify the ranking within each stage according to different aspects of the cancer size and growth rate.
- Stage 0 - the cancer is still small (in situ) and has not yet reached deep tissues inside or outside the lungs. This stage of cancer is often curable.
- Stage I - cancer is seen in lung tissues, while the lymph nodes remain cancer-free.
- Stage II - cancer may have reached the lymph nodes.
- Stage III - cancer can be any size and may have penetrated nearby tissue more deeply.
- Stage IV - cancer can be any size and may have spread into other parts of the body.
Can lung cancer be treated?
Effective lung cancer treatment depends on early diagnosis and prompt medical attention. The right combination of radiation, surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy may mean that your lung cancer is curable - but removing every cancerous cell is vital.
Radiation
Intensive x-rays to eliminate cancer cells, often used before surgery. Radiation therapy may also be used after surgery to ‘mop up’ any remaining cancer cells or instead of surgery when the cancer is too advanced.
Surgery
Your medical team may recommend surgery to remove a small part of the lung or the entire lung, depending on the spread of the cancer. Although surgery is highly effective, it’s not an option for treating all lung cancers, including stage IV NSCLC.
Chemotherapy
Utilises a series of drugs that destroy rapidly growing cells. It’s highly effective at targeting cancer cells but will also damage some healthy cells. Typical side effects include:
- Extreme fatigue
- Nausea
- Constipation/diarrhoea
- Infection
- Bruising
- Anaemia (reduced red blood cell count)
- Hair loss (not always)
Immunotherapy
As the name suggests, immunotherapy assists your immune system in fighting against cancer cells. It’s usually more successful in NSCLC patients. Two of the most effective (though expensive) immunotherapy drugs, Nivolumab (Opdivo®) and Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), are not currently funded by Pharmac.
This means you would use your personal resources to pay for these drugs. Alternatively, your health insurer could fund them for you. Policywise can recommend an insurer who will alleviate these costs to save you unnecessary financial stress. Schedule a 5-minute phone conversation with us and see how we can help.
Targeted therapy
Targeted therapies damage specific functions in the cancer cells, for example, by sending a molecular signal that stops cancer cells from growing. You might have heard of ‘monoclonal antibody treatment’ - this is one type of targeted therapy.
Targeted therapies usually do less harm to healthy cells, and may have fewer side effects, but not every patient is a suitable candidate. Talk to your doctor about the tests available that will indicate whether this therapy could work for you.
Is lung cancer curable?
Yes, and no. The lung cancer survival rate in New Zealand is low: only about 17% of patients survive more than five years after diagnosis.
But if you catch the disease early enough, you may be one of the lucky few who go on to enjoy a full and rich life. Much depends on the stage and type of cancer, your general health, and receiving the most effective treatment.
The latest research from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center shows that access to the best drugs can significantly improve your chances of curing lung cancer.
The Center’s research revealed that adding a specific immunotherapy drug to chemotherapy before surgery in stage 1 to 3 NSCLC patients can: “reduce the relapse rate by almost 40%, meaning that patients in this study, who would have likely gone on to die of lung cancer, may now be cured”.
This specific drug is known as Keytruda, which Pharmac has, for many years, refused to fund. There is a solution, however, and our Policywise advisers can clarify how private health insurance can grant you access to early diagnostic tools, expensive drugs (that Pharmac doesn’t fund), and vital specialist services.
Prevention
If you smoke, stop. Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer. In addition, take steps to reduce your exposure to passive smoking.
Wear proper respiratory protection when working with hazardous materials, such as cement fibre boards and epoxy resins, and in harmful, dusty situations.
Are you prepared for life’s uncertainties?
You may not have cancer, and it may not even run in your family, but that’s no guarantee it won’t happen to you or someone you love. Remember, one in five Kiwi lung cancer patients has never smoked.
Think about how health insurance can cover you for that possibility. And not all health insurance plans are the same. Some plans only pay for a tiny fraction of your cancer treatment expenses.
Don’t let this happen to you. When buying health insurance, talk to a Policywise adviser about policies that include cancer cover. Our service is free to you - and might just change your life for the better.