Smoking main cause of lung cancer, TB: Doctors

Lucknow: Three out of five cases of lung cancer are detected at a much later stage because they often go undiagnosed as symptoms are similar to those of tuberculosis. For early detection, patients diagnosed with TB should also opt for a screening to detect the problem. This fact was shared by doctors of King George Medical University (KGMU) at an event organised on the eve of World Lung Cancer Day on Monday.

Lung cancer can manifest with a wide range of symptoms, most common being cough, haemoptysis, chest and shoulder pain, and dyspnoea. The main cause of lung TB and cancer is smoking. Along with smokers, those who are subjected to passive smoking are at risk of developing these diseases, said Dr Ajay Verma, respiratory medicine department.

Head of the department of pulmonary and critical care medicine Dr Ved Prakash said new drugs along with chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy have made treatment of cancer easier now.