World Lung Cancer Day: Quit smoking recently? Watch out for discomfort in chest, fatigue & swelling around neck

Take a bow if you've never puffed a cigarette in your life or have managed to quit the habit for good. You belong to the 50 per cent of non-smokers in India. However, this cannot protect you against lung cancer.

While smokers are at a high risk of lung cancer, people who have quit smoking and come under the non-smoker category are also susceptible to different types of lung cancer.

In 2020, around 2.2 million new cancer cases were diagnosed worldwide, and 81,200 lung cancer cases emanated from India, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Air pollution is a primary trigger for the increase in lung cancer incidence in India, which affects non-smokers too.


What Is Lung Cancer?
Lunch cancer originates in tissues and the lining of the air passages. Like other cancers, lung cancer develops at the cellular level. As the abnormal cells multiply and grow out of control, they spread to the lungs before affecting or metastasising to other body parts.

Lung cancer is of two types – non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). While smokers are often diagnosed with NSCLC or squamous cell carcinoma, non-smokers get detected with SCLC, also known as adenocarcinoma.

The World Cancer Research Fund report said that lung cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in the world, and is a top cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Lung cancer accounts for 5.9 per cent of all cancers in India and results in 8.1 per cent of lung cancer-related deaths, the WHO study found.

Risk Factors In Non-Smokers:
Specifying a single risk factor that can trigger the growth of cancerous cells in the lungs is difficult.

However, various studies point to the following causes:

• Exposure to radioactive gas at the workplace or home (check your homes and workplaces for the presence of this deadly gas)
• Second-hand smoke or passive smoking
• Prolonged exposure to diesel exhausts, heavy metals, asbestos
• Air pollution and hostile environmental factors
• Family history of lung cancer

Lung Cancer Symptoms In Non-Smokers:

• Persistent cough with stains of blood
• Discomfort and pain in the chest
• Breathing trouble, wheezing, and hoarseness
• Loss of appetite and unintended weight loss
• Fatigue
• Trouble swallowing and swelling around the face and neck
• Poor respiratory health and recurrent infections

How To Get Lung Cancer Diagnosed:
Depending on the patient's condition, numerous diagnostic tests are available. The following are some of the most prevalent lung cancer diagnostic tests:

Core Biopsy: A tissue sample is collected from the patient's lungs using a needle inserted into the lungs or a tube passed through the lungs. Other possibilities include creating an incision and collecting a sample from infected areas of the lung. Based on biopsy results, the course of treatment is determined.

Sputum Cytology: Microscopic examination may reveal lung cancer in patients who have a persistent cough and produce saliva.

X-ray and CT Scan: An X-ray scan and a CT scan can both identify an abnormal mass. A CT scan, on the other hand, can detect even very small lesions in the lungs, and low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) of the chest is a well-established approach for lung cancer screening. Other imaging scans like PET, Ultrasound and MRI are also used to diagnose and correlate with other tests.

Lung Cancer Treatment In Non-Smokers?
Early detection is critical, and surgery is frequently the first line of treatment. Depending on the stage of cancer, the patient may require chemotherapy, radiation or targeted therapy after the diseased tissue or tumour is removed.

Tips To Safeguard Lungs:
Lungs are a set of vital organs and the lifeline of your overall well-being. Lung cancer patients who practise yoga have a greater chance of making a full recovery, and their disease is better managed. Yoga can also alleviate the symptoms of breathlessness.

Here are other things people should make a note of:

• If you are a smoker, quit now
• If you have smoked before, do not ever go back to that habit – remember, you are still at risk
• Eat healthy foods and adopt an active lifestyle
• Be mindful of your surroundings and do your bit for the environment
• Exercise regularly to boost lung power

(The article is Regional Director – Head & Neck Surgical Oncology and Robotic Surgery at HCG Cancer Hospital, Bengaluru)