Take action against lung cancer before it starts!
According to a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer remains the leading global cause of cancer death, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths in 2020. Lack of awareness about disease symptoms, a limited screening adherence of high-risk persons, and a late referral to specialists are the major reasons for delayed diagnosis and poor outcome for lung cancer patients.
Lung Cancer in MENA and the United Arab Emirates
The good news first: Lung cancer in the MENA region is less frequent than international rates. A research review by Abdulrahman R. Jazieh and colleagues from universities and medical facilities in Saudi Arabia and Egypt published in 2019 shows a sixfold higher rate of lung cancer in US, China, or France compared to the GCC countries, including UAE.
However, there is also bad news: In MENA and the UAE, the rate of new diagnoses (scientifically termed “incidence”) of lung cancer is rising. In addition, four out of five lung cancer patients are diagnosed at a late cancer stage, resulting in limited treatment options and poor 5-year survival rate of less than 10%. Therefore, although lung cancer is only ranked 6th of all cancer disease in UAE, it has been calculated as the second leading cause of deaths due to cancer in 2020.
Symptoms: Alert Signs
Lung cancer can cause several symptoms that may indicate a problem in the lungs. They include
- cough that does not go away
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- coughing up blood
- fatigue (being exhausted and tired)
- weight loss with no known cause
- lung infections that keep coming back.
Early symptoms may be mild or dismissed as common respiratory issues, leading to delayed diagnosis.
The Major Risk Factor: Tobacco Smoke
Around 80% of lung cancer are caused by exposure to tobacco smoke and other airborne chemicals such as air pollution. There is a 20- to 50-fold greater risk of developing lung cancer in continuous smokers compared to never-smokers, with duration of smoking being the strongest determinant of lung cancer risk. Other tobacco products such as cigars, cigarillos, pipes, bidi, hookah and water pipes (shisha smoking), and involuntary smoking (workplace exposure, household exposure, childhood smoking exposure) are also associated with a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
Risk factors such as genetic susceptibility, advanced age (55 to 74 years), poor diet, indoor and outdoor air pollution, occupational exposure to carcinogens (such as asbestos, silica, radon, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ionizing radiation), and chronic lung inflammation may act independently or in association with tobacco smoking to increase the risk of lung cancer.
Think You’re Safe if You’re a Non-Smoker?
Unfortunately, you are not. Lung cancer happens in people who never smoked or smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.
People diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked are still the 7th leading cause of all cancer deaths. If you have a close family history of lung cancer, or have been exposed to substances like radon or asbestos, it’s important to talk with your physician.
Risk factors such as genetic susceptibility, advanced age (55 to 74 years), poor diet, indoor and outdoor air pollution, occupational exposure to carcinogens (such as asbestos, silica, radon, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, ionizing radiation), and chronic lung inflammation may act independently or in association with tobacco smoking to increase the risk of lung cancer.
Even Lung Cancer Patients Better Stop Smoking
People who have lung cancer and who do not smoke can have better outcomes. Smoking cessation after an initial diagnosis of lung cancer has been associated with a nearly 30% improvement in overall survival.
Quitting at the same time of diagnosis can:
- Increase your likelihood of survival
- Decrease your risk of developing a second cancer
- Improve your body’s ability to heal from and respond to surgery, chemotherapy, or other treatments
- Lower your risk of pneumonia or respiratory failure
- Improve your quality of life
Allow you to spend more time at home than in the hospital
The Benefits of Lung Cancer Screening
Because many lung cancer patients don’t have any symptoms associated with lung cancer before they are diagnosed, many diagnoses occur after the cancer has already spread outside of the lung. The cancer stage at the time of diagnosis determines the treatment options available to the patient.
The recommended test to screen for lung cancer is a low-dose computed tomography (also called a low-dose CT scan, or LDCT). The X-ray machine uses a very low dose of radiation to make a detailed image of the lungs. This type of scan takes only a few minutes, and it is not painful.
Who Should Be Screened for Lung Cancer?
Screening criteria vary depending on governmental regulations. In the UAE, low-dose CT scans are recommended for smokers and those who have quit if they fall into one of the following “high-risk” groups.
High-risk candidates of lung cancer aged 55-75 years with:
- 30 pack-year history of smoking and/or tobacco cessation <15 years.
- 20 pack-year history of tobacco use and/or tobacco cessation <15 years
and one additional risk factor;
- 20-year history of water pipe (shisha) and/or dokha, medwakh and/or all other forms of smoked tobacco use.
To calculate your “pack-year”, multiply the number of years you smoked by the number of packs of cigarettes you smoked a day.
Examples:
20 years of smoking x ½ pack a day = 10 pack-years
Or calculate online at: Pack Years Calculator (mdcalc.com)
If you belong to a high-risk group, as an inhabitant of UAE you can subscribe online and book a screening appointment at www.haad.ae/simplycheck.ae.
If you are not sure about your personal risk, talk to your doctor!
Don´t Feel Guilty – Seek Help!
Lung cancer patients report the highest distress levels of all cancer groups. In addition to poor prognosis, the self-blame and stigma associated with smoking might partially account for that distress and prevent patients from requesting help and communicating with their family, friends or even doctors.
No one “deserves” lung cancer! A person’s smoking history is an important part of their medical history. But it is irrelevant to the level of care and concern a lung cancer patient has the right to receive.
More Knowledge About Lung Cancer Needed?
Check out our detailed Blog on the different types of lung cancer, diagnostic procedures, treatment and survival times:
https://theknowhow.ae/lung-cancer-awareness-mena/
TheKnowHow Independent Second Opinion Service
Are you or a loved one suffering from lung cancer and are unsure about the exact diagnosis or are concerned about your current treatment choices?
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