Lung cancer incident is rising worldwide. Despite the awareness and hence early detection, the overall outcome has not changed over the years. It is important therefore to look into the cause of this Cancer so as preventive measures can be adopted at the community level.
Lung cancer constitutes 14.4% of all cancers in a review of 9210 patients of consecutive autopsies by Banker.
Symptoms one should watch for:
A worldwide increase of over 1.8 million new lung cancer cases in 2012. In India, approximately 63,000 new lung cancer cases are reported each year1. India currently faces 6.9 percent of new cancer cases and of all the cancer cases Lung Cancer constitutes 9.3 percent of death in both the sexes. The time trends of lung cancer show a significant rise in Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru in both the sexes.
The latest GLOBOCAN report suggests lung cancer is ranked fourth overall among the various types of cancer (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) after breast, cervical, and oral cavity cancer. In males, it’s ranked second while in females it was sixth in terms of cancer incidence. There were 53,728 new lung cancer cases among Indian males and 16,547 new lung cancer cases among Indian females.
In Indian patients with lung cancer, history of active tobacco smoking was found in 87% of males and 85% of females. History of passive tobacco exposure is found in 3%. So 90% of all cases result from tobacco exposure.
Smoking being the major cause of Lung Cancer, the condition is on a rise in the females and declining in the males in developing countries. The major risk factor for developing lung cancer is tobacco use and this disease is often viewed solely as a smoker’s disease. However, a significant number of patients with lung cancer have no history of smoking. Although multiple risk factors, including environmental, hormonal, genetic and viral have been implicated in the pathogenesis of lung cancer in never-smokers, no distinct etiologic factor has emerged that can explain the relatively high incidence of lung cancer in never-smokers and the marked geographic differences in gender proportions.
Talking more about lung cancer, Dr. B Sivanesan, Consultant Medical Oncologist, G K N M Hospital, said, “The fatality of lung cancer is higher mostly because, most of the cases are not diagnosed in the early stage. A lung cancer in most of the cases is misdiagnosed as Tuberculosis. By the time a patient is brought under treatment we have lost on lot of time and recovery.”
The association of smoking and lung cancer is well known.The risk increases with the amount and duration ofsmoking.In Indian patients with lung cancer, history of activetobacco smoking was found in 87% of males and 85% offemales. History of passive tobacco exposure is found in3%. So 90% of all cases result from tobacco exposure.The percentage of tobacco-related products smoked inIndia are beedi (28.4 - 79%), cigarettes (9.0 - 53.7), hooka (3.4 - 77.3), and mixed (7.5 - 13.6)13. The relative risk of developing lung cancer is 2.64 for beedismokers and 2.23 for cigarette smokers.
Dr. Abdul Malik, Chief Consultant Oncologist, Ashwin Hospital, said, “Smoking is the major reason for developing the malignant cell but apart from that, the current state of pollution, lifestyle choices and eating habitsplay a major role. This is not just an urban disease but with use of bidi, hukka and unfiltered tobacco the rural areas of India is equally affected.”
Second-hand smoking popularly known as passive smoking from other’s cigarettes, can increase a person’s risk of getting lung cancer, even if the person himself/herself does not smoke. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India, shows that 52% of the adults (rural-58%, urban-39%) are exposed to passive smoking at home. Toxic chemical particles from smoke cling to household items like, curtains, clothes, rugs, food, furniture and other materials used commonly by other family members causing passive smoking. The risk increases with increase in number of smokers in the house and with the duration of exposure. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure during childhood is strongly associated with risk of developing lung cancer.
Dr. B Sivanesanand Dr. Abdul Malik, added, “It is important to educate people about the disease so that they visit their doctor at the earliest if they have persistent symptoms like cough, chest pain and weight loss.”
Good diet and healthy eating habits can minimize the risk of Lung Cancer. Keeping away from smoke and avoiding passive smoking is also very essential. Exposure to carcinogens like asbestos and harmful particulate material present in the air of our polluted cities also play a major factor”.
Reference:
Lung cancer constitutes 14.4% of all cancers in a review of 9210 patients of consecutive autopsies by Banker.
Symptoms one should watch for:
- A cough that doesn’t go away after two or three weeks.
- Coughing up blood.
- Persistent chest infections.
- Chest and/or shoulder pains.
- An ache or pain when breathing or coughing.
- Tiredness or lack of energy.
- Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss.
- Shortness of breath or wheezing.
A worldwide increase of over 1.8 million new lung cancer cases in 2012. In India, approximately 63,000 new lung cancer cases are reported each year1. India currently faces 6.9 percent of new cancer cases and of all the cancer cases Lung Cancer constitutes 9.3 percent of death in both the sexes. The time trends of lung cancer show a significant rise in Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru in both the sexes.
The latest GLOBOCAN report suggests lung cancer is ranked fourth overall among the various types of cancer (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) after breast, cervical, and oral cavity cancer. In males, it’s ranked second while in females it was sixth in terms of cancer incidence. There were 53,728 new lung cancer cases among Indian males and 16,547 new lung cancer cases among Indian females.
In Indian patients with lung cancer, history of active tobacco smoking was found in 87% of males and 85% of females. History of passive tobacco exposure is found in 3%. So 90% of all cases result from tobacco exposure.
Smoking being the major cause of Lung Cancer, the condition is on a rise in the females and declining in the males in developing countries. The major risk factor for developing lung cancer is tobacco use and this disease is often viewed solely as a smoker’s disease. However, a significant number of patients with lung cancer have no history of smoking. Although multiple risk factors, including environmental, hormonal, genetic and viral have been implicated in the pathogenesis of lung cancer in never-smokers, no distinct etiologic factor has emerged that can explain the relatively high incidence of lung cancer in never-smokers and the marked geographic differences in gender proportions.
Talking more about lung cancer, Dr. B Sivanesan, Consultant Medical Oncologist, G K N M Hospital, said, “The fatality of lung cancer is higher mostly because, most of the cases are not diagnosed in the early stage. A lung cancer in most of the cases is misdiagnosed as Tuberculosis. By the time a patient is brought under treatment we have lost on lot of time and recovery.”
The association of smoking and lung cancer is well known.The risk increases with the amount and duration ofsmoking.In Indian patients with lung cancer, history of activetobacco smoking was found in 87% of males and 85% offemales. History of passive tobacco exposure is found in3%. So 90% of all cases result from tobacco exposure.The percentage of tobacco-related products smoked inIndia are beedi (28.4 - 79%), cigarettes (9.0 - 53.7), hooka (3.4 - 77.3), and mixed (7.5 - 13.6)13. The relative risk of developing lung cancer is 2.64 for beedismokers and 2.23 for cigarette smokers.
Dr. Abdul Malik, Chief Consultant Oncologist, Ashwin Hospital, said, “Smoking is the major reason for developing the malignant cell but apart from that, the current state of pollution, lifestyle choices and eating habitsplay a major role. This is not just an urban disease but with use of bidi, hukka and unfiltered tobacco the rural areas of India is equally affected.”
Second-hand smoking popularly known as passive smoking from other’s cigarettes, can increase a person’s risk of getting lung cancer, even if the person himself/herself does not smoke. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India, shows that 52% of the adults (rural-58%, urban-39%) are exposed to passive smoking at home. Toxic chemical particles from smoke cling to household items like, curtains, clothes, rugs, food, furniture and other materials used commonly by other family members causing passive smoking. The risk increases with increase in number of smokers in the house and with the duration of exposure. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure during childhood is strongly associated with risk of developing lung cancer.
Dr. B Sivanesanand Dr. Abdul Malik, added, “It is important to educate people about the disease so that they visit their doctor at the earliest if they have persistent symptoms like cough, chest pain and weight loss.”
Good diet and healthy eating habits can minimize the risk of Lung Cancer. Keeping away from smoke and avoiding passive smoking is also very essential. Exposure to carcinogens like asbestos and harmful particulate material present in the air of our polluted cities also play a major factor”.
Reference:
- Lung cancer: Prevalent trends & emerging concepts.
- Epidemiology of lung cancer – Global and Indian perspective D Behera.
- Risk factors of lung Cancer in Chandigarh, India.
- Lung Cancer in India by D. Behera and T. Balamugesh.
- http://cancerindia.org.in/cp/index.php/know-about-cancer/lung-cancer#risk-factors.
- Epidemiology of lung cancer in India: Focus on the differences between non-smokers and smokers: A single-centre experience.
- Projection of Cancer Incident Cases for India -Till 2026.
- Globocan study 2012 (this survey is done once in 4 yrs , next is in the start of year 2017).