Breathe Easy This World Lung Cancer Day- 1st August 2024

Every year on the first of August, the world unites to raise awareness about lung cancer, the most common and deadliest cancer globally. Lung cancer also poses a significant threat in India, accounting for 5.9% of all cancers and a troubling 8.1% of cancer deaths. Alarmingly, nearly 80% of lung cancer patients in India have a history of smoking, highlighting the critical connection between these two factors.

Many people with lung cancer in India are already in a late stage when diagnosed. This means the cancer has either spread within the lungs (locally advanced) or to other parts of the body (metastatic). Late diagnosis makes the cancer less treatable. Therefore, it is important to spread awareness of the early symptoms and provide patients opportunities to give a strong fight to the disease early on.

Warning Signs of Lung Cancer:

Lung cancer can sometimes cause symptoms that shouldn't be ignored. Here are some of the most common ones which people should be aware of:

A persistent cough: This is a cough that doesn't go away, even after weeks or months.
Chest pain: This pain can be sharp or dull and may worsen with coughing, laughing, or taking a deep breath.
Shortness of breath: You might feel like you're constantly out of breath, even when you're not exerting yourself.
Coughing up blood: Even a small amount of blood in your cough can be a sign of a problem.
Unexplained weight loss: If you've lost weight without trying, it's important to see a doctor.
Frequent lung infections: If you keep getting bronchitis or pneumonia, it could be a sign of lung cancer.
It is important to observe these symptoms and report them to your doctors without any delay to diagnose or rule out the chances of lung cancer. Mind you, these symptoms could also be caused by other disease conditions (non-cancerous).