A new radiotherapy technique already available in Costa Rica can help cure lung cancer without the need of surgery. The outpatient procedure is ideal for around a 30% of people diagnosed with this form of cancer but for whom surgery is not an option be it because of risks related to age, other health problems, or heart conditions.

The application of the radiotherapy using this new technique can be done in tumors smaller than 5 cm (2 inches) and located away from the heart, pancreas or liver. The sessions take around 8 to 10 minutes and depending on each case it can be done in three or five days.

The system focuses on the tumor and takes into consideration the breathing and digestive movements of the patient, and can be applied without affecting healthy tissues; it doesn’t leave behind any scars and is effective in curing cancer in its early stages.

The use of this system could increase the success rate in the treatment of the illness and because it is an outpatient procedure the costs involved are considerably lower.

According to the National Tumor Registry of the Costa Rican Ministry of Health, 25 Costa Ricans die every month from lung cancer (one every 28 hours), it is the third most common form of cancer in men and the fourth in women, and the risk of suffering the illness increases by 11% for smokers.

Common symptoms and early warning signs of lung cancer include:

• Persistent cough (that doesn’t go away or tends to worsen)
• Coughing up blood
• Shortness of breath
• Hoarseness
• Chest pain specially after laughing or coughing
• Losing weight without any apparent reason