A new study conducted by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), Delhi, along with Lung Care Foundation has found that air pollution is responsible for the rising cases of lung cancer in India. The study found that 50% of cancer patients are non-smokers. That surprises you, doesn't it?
“Pollution is contributing a lot to the rise in lung cancer cases. Industrial and vehicular emissions and stubble burning are some major reasons for lung cancer. Young people and women are victims of lung cancer mostly due to pollution,” said Neeraj Jain, chest physician, Ganga Ram Hospital. According to Arvind Kumar, chairman, Centre for Chest Surgery, SGRH, children too are being exposed to polluted air since their birth and therefore, even before one starts smoking, the lungs are infected due to pollution. “PM 2.5 level pollution in air is equivalent to smoking one cigarette a day. And therefore, newborns inhaling such bad air have higher chances of being diagnosed for lung cancer. That is why we recommend check-ups,” he said.
The study also found that 30% of patients have initially been misdiagnosed as tuberculosis and were treated for the same for many months before starting cancer treatment.
