Targeted therapies are available in India, informed Singh. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are the most commonly used targeted drugs and at least two of them are being manufactured in India at affordable costs. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are about to be introduced in India. But they will be prohibitively expensive for most as of now. Dr Singh clarified that the role of targeted therapy and immune check point inhibitors in early stages of the cancer is not yet defined.
Surgery versus other treatment options
For stages 1, 2 and some 3A, surgery still remains the mainstay of treatment because that is the only modality with which one can attempt to achieve a cure. But anything beyond that would be a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy in various combinations, said Dr Mehta. He also informed that with surgery, 5 year survival rate is as high as 70- 80% in stage 1, and 60% in stage 2. This is very high compared to the
Risk factors
Singh and Mehta listed tobacco smoking as the number one risk factor for not only lung cancer, but many other diseases as well. 70-75% cases of lung cancer are attributed to smoking. Amongst non smokers it could be due to (i) passive smoking or environmental tobacco smoke (ii) indoor air pollution arising out of bio mass fuel exposure in poorly ventilated spaces (iii) occupational and workplace environmental exposures (iv) host of genetic factors that intermingle with environmental factors. Both stressed that smoking cessation will not only reduce risk of lung cancer but lead to many health benefits as well, and also help reduce by one third, premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030, as envisaged in the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Shobha Shukla, Citizen News Service - CNS
(Shobha Shukla is the Managing Editor of CNS (Citizen News Service). She was Chief Editor of 3 editions of scientific lung cancer newsletters at IASLC APLCC 2016 in Thailand. Follow her on Twitter @Shobha1Shukla and visit: www.citizen-news.org)
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