Copyright thevoiceslu
Lung Cancer Awareness Month is observed internationally in the month of November. It is a disease of abnormal cell growth in the lungs primarily associated with people who have a history of cigarette smoking over an extensive period of time and the quantity of cigarettes smoked. Unfortunately, the risk factor also extends to non-smokers including those exposed to second hand smoke, air pollution and carcinogenic substances, which include radon and asbestos, and also air pollution. There may also be a genetic disposition to the disease. There are generally no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, however it eventually manifests in a persistent cough, shortness of breath, hoarseness and wheezing. The affected person may also observe frequent respiratory infections and recurring bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia, and as the disease progresses, may experience chest pain, especially while inhaling deeply, coughing or laughing. This is as a result of the tumor pressing against the nerves. There may be other signs such as loss of appetite and unintended weight loss, and weakness or numbness in the limbs. In the late stages, the cancer may spread to other parts of the body and be experienced as extreme bone pain, swelling and lumps in the face, neck and collarbone, and jaundice. Fortunately, to date, locally the incidences of lung cancer is low. However there is still cause for concern as there are many people who continue to smoke heavily even with the knowledge that it may lead to respiratory illnesses and ultimately, cancer. In addition, it is well known that the use of marijuana is widespread in St Lucia, especially among the young male population and while there is no concrete evidence that its use is a causative factor, it cannot be entirely dismissed as this substance may contain many of the same cancer causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. There has also been some evidence that the concentration of certain carcinogens in marijuana may be higher than in tobacco smoke especially as it is smoked without filters. It cannot be ignored also, the new interest, both by adults and teenagers and young people in vaping and e cigarettes. The use of these products by the younger population was confirmed in the 2017 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) taken within the framework of the Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS) with a cohort of St Lucian students aged 13-15 years. This study also found that a significant number of the students were exposed to tobacco smoke in the home. It is heartening however to see that Government authorities have taken some measures to regulate the sale of cigarettes by the establishment of a Technical Working Group for Tobacco Control (TWGTC) affiliated with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The mandate of the TWGTC is to provide a multi-sectoral structure to implement a coordinated and comprehensive approach to reducing the prevalence of tobacco use with the aim of avoiding premature deaths and a reduction in the prevalence of NCD’s on island. With one of its responsibilities being to ensuring the proper labelling of packages and cartons of cigarettes intended for retail sale, to include such information, wording and health warnings on labels, it is hoped that this will have some impact on users to reduce or stop smoking, and discourage non users from beginning at all.
