Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : June 4, 2018 7:25 PM IST
There was a time when it was thought that lung cancer can happen only to smokers. But over two decades it is seen that the number of people falling prey to this kind of cancer is non-smokers and their numbers are escalating steadily. There are a number of reasons that are making non-smokers susceptible to lung cancer toxins in the environment, faulty genes, passive smoking and even slim cigarettes among others. In fact, some data suggests that air pollution is also a reason that makes Indians susceptible to lung cancer. Here two doctors discuss with us about cases where non-smokers had been prey to this kind of cancer and how a timely surgery saved their lives. Here are four ways in which even a non-smoker can get lung cancer.
Case study 1: Harpreet and Surleen was a happy middle-class couple living in Ludhiana. Both were working and had hired a nanny to look after their only child Jashan. They earned money that was just enough to make both ends meet. With car and house loans on their head, any extra expense would have burnt a hole in their pocket.
Surleen was working as a teacher in one of the city's primary schools on a contractual basis. She fell sick one-day spitting cough and was immediately brought to DMC Hospital. All diagnostic tests were performed which revealed something everyone had feared, lung cancer. Surleen never smoked or used tobacco in any form.
Upon further investigation of the patient's case history, it was revealed that she had undergone treatment for tuberculosis, but had left the medication midway. Many people in India don t understand that leaving tuberculosis treatment mid-way can have deadly consequences and lung cancer is one of them.
This had only complicated the scenario. We immediately advised her to undergo VATS procedure which would save her time and help her rejoin work as early as possible. Here is everything you need to know about the VATS surgery. Here is everything you need to know about VATS surgery.
VATS is Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery. It is a form of minimally invasive keyhole surgical technique used to diagnose and treat problems in your chest. Small cuts are made on the body. A tiny camera and surgical instruments are inserted into your chest wall. The camera transmits images of the inside of your chest into a video monitor guiding the surgeon in performing the procedure. It helps to remove the diseased part of the lungs and promises a faster recovery as it is minimally invasive in nature. Surleen s recovery was quick and she fared well post the surgery.
This case study was shared by Dr Atul Mishra, Professor and Unit Head, Department of Surgery, DMC&H.
Case study 2: Mr Akshay, (name changed) a 21-year-old student had to undergo a surgery when he was detected with lung cancer at an early stage. A single cough one day got the boy to get himself screened just to find out that he had a big 6 kg tumour growing on the left side of the lung that shifted his heart almost to the right. It was shocking that being a non-smoker by nature and a fitness freak he was now a victim of this deadly disease. A surgical procedure called VATS performed gave this young boy a new life and is now doing pretty well.
Currently, Lung cancer is among the fastest growing cancers witnessed today. It is the only disease whose incidences are increasing despite the advancements in diagnostic and treatment. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that the cancer of the lung is estimated at 1.14 lakh new cases during 2016 and 1.4 lakh cases by 2020. Based on the research report by SIRO Lung Cancer Focus: India - approximately 85% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage that is not amenable to surgical intervention. A PBCRs report further states that Delhi leads the chart for lung cancer by 10.5% in males, however, the incidence is growing among women at 3.1 per cent. Here are few myths on lung cancer and tobacco consumption debunked by an expert.
This clearly highlights that age is not the criteria for serious health issues like lung cancer, so screening is required in case of any early symptoms.
This case study was shared with us by Dr L M Darlong, Head of Thoracic Oncosurgery, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center.
