Lung Cancer

What is Lung Cancer?

• The lungs are a pair of spongy, air-filled organs located on both sides of the chest
• Lung cancer is a disease in which malignant (abnormal) cells rapidly grow in an uncontrolled way and form tumors in lung’s tissues or airways. Tumors interfere with the lung’s functions leading to severe health complications.
• It primarily starts in the lungs but can invade nearby tissues and spread to other organs in the body.
• Lung cancer has two main types. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type and develop slowly. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is less common but often grows quickly.
• Usually diagnosed late at advanced stages when treatment options are limited.

Lung Cancer Facts and Statistics – Worldwide 2022

• Globally, Lung cancer is the world’s leading dominant cancer with the highest incidence and mortalities compared to other cancer types (accounting for 12.4% of all cancer cases, and 18.7% of all cancer deaths).
• By 2022, about 2.4 million new cases occurred and 1.8 million people died from lung cancer worldwide.
• Lung cancer came in first place as the most frequent cancer among men and the leading cause of cancer deaths among them, while in second place for women following breast cancer.

Lung Cancer Facts and Statistics – Abu Dhabi 2018 - 2019

• Locally, Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among Nationals (2018)
• Ranked the second most deadly cancer in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, accounting for 9.4% of all cancer deaths which is the second highest cancer mortality following breast cancer (2018)
• The sixth most common diagnosed cancer in the Emirate, accounting for 3.9% of all cancer cases (2019)
• According to the latest statistics of 2019, lung cancer incidence and mortalities in Abu Dhabi remains higher among men than in women since 2011.

Tobacco use and Lung Cancer:

According to WHO, smoking tobacco is the major risk factor for lung cancer. It’s responsible for 85% of all cases, and 71% of all lung cancer deaths.Smoking causes about 9 out of 10 cases of lung cancer in men, and about 8 out of 10 cases in women.

 Risk of lung cancer due to tobacco use depends on:

• Gender.
• Age of starting smoking.
• Years of smoking.
• Amount smoked/Products smoked.
• Depth of inhalation.
• Exposure to passive smoking.

Lung Cancer Symptoms:

• Chest pain.
• Intense/persistent cough.
• Coughing up blood.
• Change in sputum color.
• Hoarseness/Voice changes
• Recurrent lung problems.
• Uncontrolled weight loss.
• Shortness of breath/Wheezing

Symptoms take years to develop and may not appear until the disease is at advanced stages. The early symptoms are usually mild or dismissed as common respiratory issues leading to delayed diagnosis. It’s important to contact the healthcare provider immediately when any symptoms noticed

Lung Cancer Prevention:

Although not all lung cancer cases can be prevented, but there are ways to reduce the risk.

• Avoid all tobacco products and exposure to secondhand smoke
• Lower exposure to cancer-causing agents at workplace by following health and safety instructions.
• Limit exposure to radon gas inside homes/buildings. Consult local authorities about best practices.
• Adopt a healthy lifestyle.
• Be caution, avoid large doses of supplements, food sources of nutrients are best. Beta Carotene supplement showed to increase lung cancer risk in smokers, and Vitamin E had no effect to reduce the risk.

• Ensure adherence to regular screening and early detection checkups as per doctor recommendations .
• Early detection services are available through the Comprehensive Screening Program (IFHAS) program to all Thiqa-card holders in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Lung Cancer Screening services in Abu Dhabi 

Screening is a process that aims to find the diseases at an early stage when most treatable.LDCT scan (Low-dose Computed Tomography) is the known approved test used for lung cancer screening which have proven to save lives and reduce lung cancer deaths among heavy smokers by up to 20% in comparison to regular chest X-ray.

How it works?

LDCT scan doesn’t diagnose lung cancer, but it involves the use of X-ray machine with low-doses of radiation that helps form detailed images of what is inside the body, those images capture abnormal masses in the lungs that can be further tested for cancer.

Eligibility for lung cancer screening:

LDCT scan is recommended once a year for people at high risk of developing lung cancer who meets the following criteria:

• Men and women between 55 - 75 years old, and
• Healthy with no symptoms of lung cancer, and
• Currently smoke or quit smoking within the past 15 years, and
• Have smoking history of 20 to 30-Pack-Years (smoking 1 pack of cigarette per day for 20 or 30 years), or
• Have smoking history of 20-Years of smoking other types such as: water pipe (shisha) and/or Medwakh for 20 years).

Health insurance coverage

• For Thiqa- card holders, screening and treatments are fully covered in consistent with the DOH Standard for Thiqa Preventive List of Interventions.
• For non-Thiqa holders, coverage must be consistent with the individual’s health insurance plan.

Where to go for lung cancer screening in Abu Dhabi?

12 healthcare facilities are licensed to provide lung cancer screening services across Abu Dhabi Emirate.

Awareness Materials:

• Arabic Presentation
• English Presentation
• Bilingual Flyer