Why Lung Cancer is turning into an epidemic in India? Health Vision

Why Lung Cancer is turning into an epidemic in India? Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt has been diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer, say reports. Smoking leads to lung cancer and if diagnosis is delayed, tumor spreads faster throughout body. Lung cancer is effecting youngster at an alarming rate.

A 38-year-old patient visited hospital with complaints of pain in left side chest and double vision. During the process of understanding his case history, the patient revealed that he is a chain smoker and has been feeling bouts of chest pain since few months. Initially, he had consulted a doctor elsewhere for chest pain & was asked to undergo ECG and ECHO and had ruled out cardiac problems.

He was treated for gastric issues. Post his treatment, after 8 months, the patient complained about repeated chest pain and double vision. To understand and evaluate his condition better, he was asked him to undergo MRI brain scan. The scan results revealed a tumor in his brain and further tests showed lung cancer. Since lung cancer was not treated at the right time, it had spread to his brain. As an immediate action, radiotherapy and other treatment was done which helped in the control of the growth of tumor.

Continuous smoking habit led to lung cancer:

In this case his continuous smoking habit led to lung cancer and the delay in diagnosis had resulted in spreading of the tumor to other parts of the body. Lung cancer spreads very fast and it is difficult to understand the symptoms of the same. When upper lung tumors compress nerves and arteries, the patient can present with pain or weakness in the arm or change in voice. When it involves covering of lung (pleura), they present with chest pain. Left side chest pain is not always related to heart or gastritis. It is important for people to take necessary steps when they get these symptoms as it could lead to severe health issues.

Lung cancer in India is high-mortality cancer due to late stage diagnosis. This has resulted in treating and curing only 15 percent of cases of lung cancer at the time of diagnosis. Lung Cancer also can strike you at young age. 80% of lung cancer typically present late in stage 3 or 4 as there are often no warning symptoms shown.

Hence, those who smoke are always at a higher risk of developing these cancers and sometimes the first presentation is itself a lung cancer. Recently, we are seeing many young people also presenting with lung cancer which is increasing at an alarming rate.

Also Read: WHY HIGHER CANCER CASES ARE REPORTED IN INDIA?