World Lung Cancer Day 2024 is an important global event that aims to spread awareness and educate people about the prevention and early detection of lung cancer. It is observed on August 1st every year, and the day serves as a reminder of the devastating impact lung cancer has on individuals and their families, and the urgent need to combat this disease.
Lung cancer is a disease when cells in the lungs begin to grow rapidly into tumours. In India, according to a study, irrespective of gender, the number of people affected by lung cancer is 72, 510 and men are largely susceptible to the disease.
Different factors and causes play an important role in affecting the nonsmokers from lung cancer
When we spoke to Dr Indranil Banerjee MBBS, MD, DNB, DAA Consultant Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy & Sleep, Apollo Spectra Hospitals, about the causes of lung cancer in non-smokers, he said that secondhand smoke; for a non-smoker, when a person is exposed to the cigarette smoke of the other person in the same environment, chances of developing lung cancer are high. Exposure to certain chemicals asbestos, and arsenic. Prolonged exposure to air pollutants particles in the environment such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and higher rates of carbon dioxide, all may cause respiratory diseases. These pollutants can also alter the airway cells in the body and can trigger lung cancer.
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that has no color or and smell, is primarily produced by the decay of uranium in soil, rocks, and water. It can seep into buildings through cracks, and walls and get accumulate in basements. Radon quickly gets attached to dust enters the human body while inhaling and gets deposited in the lungs.
Another cause of lung cancer in non-smokers is genetic factors and family history. Not all respiratory problems lead to lung cancer, based on the severity of the condition lung cancer can be detected. Symptoms of lung cancer are change in voice, frequent chest infections(bronchitis or pneumonia), coughing blood, shortness of breath, wheezing, and bone fracture.
Diagnosis and treatment
The doctor conducts physical tests such as abnormal breath sounds or enlarged lymph nodes. CT scan or chest X-ray helps in identifying the enlarged or abnormal masses in the lungs. In PET scans a radioactive sugar molecule is used to detect the cancer cells.
Treatment varies on the type of cancer detected. Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy where high energy beams are used to treat early to advanced cancer. In immunotherapy treatment, certain drugs are suggested that help the body’s immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
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