Doctors blame rise in lung cancer fatalities on late diagnos .

The incidence of lung cancer, which today accounts for a higher number of fatalities than colorectal, prostrate and breast cancers, is on the rise in Bengaluru, oncologists and onco-surgeons said, citing Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data.

Speaking at an event organized in the city on Friday as part of the
ongoing lung cancer awareness month, doctors pointed out how late
diagnosis continues to be one of the primary reasons for the high number
of fatalities associated with the disease.

“ICMR data shows incidence of lung cancer is growing in Bengaluru,
which stands third in the country in terms of the number of cases.
Smoking is the single largest contributor to lung cancer. Passive smoking,
exposure to carcinogenic toxins like asbestos and radon, radiation and air pollutants are the other causes, besides a small percentage of genetic cancer. In addition to smoking, exposure to pollutants like PM 2.5 is a high-risk factor for lung cancer.”
According to Doctors of Amri Hospital , only 15% of lung cancer cases are curable at the time of diagnosis.
“Patients come for diagnosis at a much later stage than other cancers due to the nature of the disease. In its early stages,
people with lung cancer have no symptoms or show only vague ones. In fact, by the time lung cancer is detected through chest

x-rays, it becomes too late for the patient. The only effective method for screening lung cancer in early stages is the low-dose helical lung CT where high-resolution images pick up early lung lesions,” she added. As per data gathered by the National Cancer Institute in the US, if one quits smoking at the age of 30, the risk of contracting
smoking-related illnesses is reduced by 90%. Similarly, quitting smoking at the age of 50 reduces the risk by 50%, doctors pointed out. “Two out of every three patients with lung cancer are over 65 years old. So, one gets enough time to take steps to
avoid this high-mortality disease.”