New Delhi: According to experts, the growing incidence of lung cancer, even among non-smokers, can be attributed to indoor pollutants such as kitchen fumes, occupational hazards, secondhand smoke exposure and air pollution.
Based on a recent study published in the eClinical Medicine Journal of the Lancet, the ratio of Indian lung cancer research output to worldwide research output is 0.51.
According to the study, lung cancer is diagnosed between the ages of 54 and 70 in Western countries, while it manifests itself ten years earlier in India.
It might also be the outcome of India’s younger population, with a median age of 28.2 years as opposed to 38 years in the US and 39 years in China.
Speaking to IANS, Dr Shrinidhi Nathany of the Fortis Memorial Research Institute’s Department of Molecular Hematology and Oncology said that elevated PM 2.5 levels are also associated with a rise in lung cancer cases among Southeast Asian non-smokers.
Dr. Nathany added that lung cancer affects “a large part of Indians due to passive smoking as well as genetic /hereditary susceptibility.”
The doctor noted that Delhi, also known as the pollution capital, and urban India’s three-digit PM 2.5 levels significantly contribute to tumorigenesis — the formation of cancer.
Dr. Ashish Gupta, Chief of Medical Oncology at Unique Hospital Cancer Centre, also pointed out the alarming trend of lung cancer cases in India “to factors such as air pollution, exposure to secondhand smoke, occupational hazards, and indoor pollutants like cooking fumes.”
To mitigate this growing health issue, it is crucial to enforce stringent air quality regulations, raise public awareness about the dangers of secondhand smoke and environmental pollutants, and promote regular screenings for high-risk groups. To reduce the incidence of lung cancer among non-smokers in India, the experts said.
Dr Shrinidhi further said that regular screening of predisposed individuals living in polluted cities of the country, farmers exposed to harmful pesticides, and those having strong personal and /or family history of cancers could help in early detection while stressing that being informed was the important thing one could be for this issue.
–IANS
