Lung Cancer in India: Lung cancer is now affecting not only smokers but also non-smokers. A report found that more than half of the lung cancer patients in India are non-smokers. One question is why do people who do not smoke BDS or cigarettes get lung cancer?
According to a report, lung cancer is the third most common cancer. In the year 2020, more than 22 lakh cancer cases were reported in the world. Also, 18 lakh people died. Then in 2020, 72,510 new lung cancer patients were diagnosed in India and 66,279 patients died that year. In 2020, lung cancer accounted for 7.8% of cancer deaths in India.
Shocking Lung Cancer Statistics
According to the Lancet report, lung cancer is the third most common cancer. Which is spreading rapidly even among non-smokers. In the year 2020, more than 22 lakh cancer cases were reported in the world. Also 18 lakh people died. Then in 2020, 72,510 new lung cancer patients were diagnosed in India and 66,279 patients died that year. In 2020, lung cancer accounted for 7.8% of cancer deaths in India.
Lung cancer is spreading rapidly in India. The incidence of lung cancer in India was 6.62 per one lakh population in 1990, which increased to 7.7 in 2019. That is, in 2019, 7.7 people out of every one lakh people were suffering from lung cancer. From 1990 to 2019, it has increased from 10.36 to 11.16 in men and from 2.68 to 4.49 in women.
Even non-smokers are becoming patients of lung cancer
Most people who have never smoked bidi or cigarettes are developing lung cancer. 40 to 50 percent of such patients in India and 83 percent of female patients in South Asia who suffer from lung cancer are non-smokers.
How do non-smokers become victims?
There are two main reasons considered in this case. One of which is passive smoking and pollution. Passive smoking means that you do not smoke but people around you smoke, so their smoke enters your body, causing cancer. 3 out of 10 people are victims of passive smoking.
Talking about the second reason, people working in these mines and factories also become lung cancer patients, even if they do not smoke. Working in such places exposes the body to harmful chemicals and gases. Which causes lung cancer.
Apart from this, air pollution in urban areas is so high that it causes cancer. Studies show that PM2.5 i.e. 2.5 micron particles in the air are the biggest risk factor.
This particle is 100 times thinner than a human hair and is extremely dangerous
PM2.5 is an extremely fine particle present in the atmosphere. It is 100 times thinner than a human hair and is considered extremely dangerous.
These are so small that they can enter our body directly through the nose and mouth and can affect the heart and lungs as soon as they enter the body. Which has a serious impact on health. When the amount of these particles increases in the air, not only pollution occurs but our health also deteriorates.
PM2.5 can cause lung-related diseases
PM2.5 contains nitrate and sulphate acids, chemicals, metals and dust and soil particles. These are so small that they can go deep into the lungs and cause serious illness. This can even cause death of people suffering from heart and lung diseases. At the same time, in healthy people it can cause heart attack, asthma and lung related diseases.
A study came out in January this year, which claimed that India has the highest PM2.5 in the world. Its quantity is highest in Delhi. The study claims that in India, during the winter season, indoor air is 41% more polluted than outdoor air.