The reason why most cancer patients have difficulty breathing

Most cancer patients will have difficulty breathing in the late stages, seriously affecting their physical and mental health. That makes them abandon themselves, making the disease progress faster.

There are many causes of difficulty breathing in people with asthma.cancer:

Cancer cells invade the lungs

When invading the lungs, cancer cells develop in different locations. The bronchi are blocked, reducing lung ventilation. Recurrent inflammation of cancer cells will reduce the function of the alveoli and cause ventilation disorders.

Effects of radiotherapy

Illustration: Prana Air

After radiation therapy for cancer, lung tissue is damaged, leading to pneumonia. The radiation dose, the area of ​​lung irradiated, and the rate of irradiation determine the extent of lung damage.

Inflammation and fibrosis can occur in the lungs, impairing diffusion and ventilation function, causing difficulty breathing or even respiratory failure.

Lung infection

Cancer cells can release a large amount of cytokines, plus the body's lack of granulocytes after treatment, impaired immunity leads to lung infections and difficulty breathing.

Anemia

Most cancer patients will have anemia to varying degrees. Such as bone marrow fibrosis after radiation therapy, chronic blood loss, bone marrow hematopoietic dysfunction due to chemotherapy, because the body does not receive enough blood and oxygen to nourish, leading to difficulty breathing.

Pleural and pericardial effusion

Pleural mesothelioma and metastatic pleural cancer can cause malignant pleural effusion. This condition can easily cause lung collapse, reducing lung volume, making it difficult to breathe.

In addition, pericardial tamponade carries the risk of leading to impaired heart pumping ability and pulmonary edema.

Psychological factors

Many cancer patients experience anxiety and depression due to changes in their physical and social lives. This negative psychological state can cause shortness of breath. Failure to address psychological factors can increase the severity and frequency of shortness of breath.