The annual congress of French pulmonologists was held at Little this week-end. On this occasion, the
doctors sounded the alarm bell. According to a study carried out every ten years, the number of
lung cancer rising sharply, especially among women, reports RTL. Another worrying observation: although a majority of cancers continue to be linked to
tobacco, non-smokers are increasingly affected.
Patients who have never smoked in their life now represent 12% of people with lung cancer. This is almost double the results obtained twenty years ago. The causes of these diagnoses can be multiple : genetic factors; environmental factors, such as pollution; or occupational factors, such as exposure to asbestos.
A “sneaky” disease
The toxic substance long used in construction would lead to bronchial cancers. “Lung cancer is long insidious, asymptomatic, says the head of the pulmonology department at Mulhouse hospital. By the time patients arrive with symptoms, it is often too late. Symptoms include “chest pain, coughing up blood, loss of appetite, or weight loss.”
In the event of potential exposure, it is therefore strongly recommended to go and be examined by a doctor. If the management is early, that is when the tumor still measures less than 1 cm, the chances of survival at five years are 90%. They are only 5% following the development of metastases.
