IN Malaysia, lung cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men.
As with all cancers, the survival or prognosis for lung cancer depends very much on the stage of the disease. Poor outcomes here are largely due to late-stage presentation and hence delayed diagnosis in almost 95% of cases.
Traditionally a male smokers’ disease, an emerging global trend in recent years is the alarming rise in cases among non-smokers, particularly women of East Asian ethnicity.
Findings of a landmark study from Taiwan (TALENT study) presented at the virtual congress of the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Singapore last month demonstrated the feasibility and value of screening high-risk non-smokers for early detection of lung cancer.