Understanding TB and lung cancer

Lung Cancer Awareness

As the Lung Cancer Awareness month comes to a close, Consultant Oncologist Dr SVSS Prasad of Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad speaks to the CityTAB about one of the most neglected areas of lung diseases. Correctly diagnosing a disease is probably one of the first ways to treat it properly.

The misdiagnosis between Lung Cancer and Tuberculosis is a common happening in most cases. The reason is that both the diseases have similar symptoms and even the x-ray images look alike.

Dr Prasad says, “Tuberculosis commonly known as TB is an infectious disease that comes with various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This infection can affect any part of the human body. The symptoms include fever, cough and blood in sputum.

“TB is contagious. When a TB patient coughs, sneezes or otherwise transmit respiratory fluids through air, they can spread this infection to people around during them,” he explains. Lung cancer is differentiated from TB with fever.

“The important thing to understand is that Lung cancer is not an infection. It is not contagious. But, patients with lung cancer also have continuous cough and blood in sputum,” says Dr Prasad.

Almost 90 per cent of all lung cancer cases result from tobacco exposure. “People with low immunity level, diabetic patients and youngsters with low resistance have chances for getting TB. Lung Cancer is mainly observed in older age group, where smoking is the primary reason,” explains the doctor.

Lung cancer in people who don’t smoke is increasing these days. This is termed ‘Adenocarcinoma’ which is a most common form of lung cancer in non-smokers whereas ‘Lung scar carcinoma’ is usually seen in smokers.

“Children may develop childhood cancer and leukemia if women smoke during the time of their pregnancy,” cautions Dr Prasad as he informs the about the four stages of the disease and its treatment. “A need for good tissue biopsy and molecular testing cannot be over emphasised to ensure that the patient gets the right drug and toxic chemotherapy can be avoided,” he says.

“Early detection of cancer happens rarely because only in the advanced stage a patient is diagnosed for cancer. This is because only at this stage the symptoms are observed and recognised as cancer. If in chance the patient is diagnosed at stage one or two there are chances that they can be cured from the disease,” says the doctor.

Smoking is the one of the most common causes of lung cancer. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is a known carcinogen. Urban air contains many known carcinogens and exposure to this has been known to predispose to lung cancer mortality.

So, what could be effective preventive measures? “Quitting smoking and the use of gas stoves in rural areas than burning wood to cook and living in a pollution free environment are the three suggestions to free themselves from lung cancer,” concludes the doctor.

By Divya Vallabhaneni