Among Indian females lung cancer increases rapidly from past few years and it is not by smoking cigarette or chewing tobacco, but due to environmental pollution. In Environmental Performance Index (EPI)-2014 India decreases by 32 levels and reach 155 ranking and capital Delhi got world’s most polluted city dubious tag.
Everyone knows that pollution is dangerous for health and this environmental pollution determine the main cause of lung cancer among females. According to the National Cancer Registry of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); in Delhi in 1998, the ratio of lung cancer among males was 9 out of 100,000 males and in females was negligible. But in 2008 figure was totally different, in males the ratio is same but in females’ ratio was 3 out of 100,000.
A.K. Anand, chief, Radiation Oncology at Max Hospital, told IANS that “while in 1998, lung cancer negligible in females and was not one of the top 10 cancer affecting females; and in 2008 the ratio was 3:1 between males and females. Also in our clinic experience, we have seen that increase in lung cancer females’ patients and most of them are from metro cities, also they are not a smoker. Anand further said that females of age group 45-55 have more lung cancer patients.
“Also seen that there is no case from rural areas, vehicular pollution and industrial pollution are the foremost cause behind the rising number of lung cancer patients”, added by Anand.
This above fact and figures are from 2008 and 2014, now its 2015 “are we now safe???”, “is pollution from metro city decreases or its increase in rural area too???” Our future in our hands, reduce pollution, plant more and more trees, try to go by walk – it’s also good for our health.