Cancer is a major societal, public health, and economic problem in the 21st century, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 and responsible for almost one in six deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide.Lung cancer is a type of cancer that starts when abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled way in the lungs. It is a serious health issue that can cause severe harm and death.Lung cancers are traditionally divided into non–small cell carcinoma (NSCC) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), with the former accounting for 80% of the cases and the latter accounting for the remaining 20%.
According to GLOBOCAN 2022, estimates produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and disseminated as Cancer Today on the Global Cancer Observatory, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality . It is responsible for close to one in eight cancers diagnosed globally and one in five cancer deaths. The disease ranks first among men and second among women for both incidence and mortality.
According to the Kenya National Cancer Control Strategy 2017-2022, lung cancer accounted for 794 cases with 729 deaths and a prevalence of 1.75 per 100,000 translating to a case fatality of 92%.
Risk factors of lung cancer include tobacco use, Radon exposure, Exposure to second-hand smoke, Family History of Lung Cancer, history of lung disease such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Pulmonary Fibrosis. Occupational Exposure to Carcinogens is another risk factor of lung cancer. Lung carcinogens include arsenic, asbestos, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, coal smoke, diesel fumes, nickel, silica, soot, and uranium.
Symptoms of Lung cancer include:
- Persistent cough
- Chest pain
- shortness of breath
- coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
- fatigue
- weight loss with no known cause
- Persistent lung infections
Lung cancer treatment is dependent on the stage of the disease.
Surgery, Radiotherapy, and systemic therapy(chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy) are the three modalities most commonly used to treat patients with lung cancer. They can be used either alone or in combination depending on the disease status.
As an institution KUTRRH is able to provide all the listed modalities of treatment to ensure better outcomes in patients diagnosed with cancer. Moreover, we have sophisticated radiotherapy equipment that are able to provide precise and accurate delivery of radiation to a target(tumor).