If you think of lung cancer as a smoker's disease, it's worth knowing that a recent Indian study found most lung cancer patients here have never smoked. Air pollution, secondhand smoke, and years of cooking over solid fuel are turning out to be just as important, which means the person sitting in front of us with a persistent cough is often someone who never expected to hear this diagnosis. Our Lung Cancer Clinic is built around that reality: fast, accurate diagnosis, and treatment matched to your specific cancer, not a generic protocol.
A few things make lung cancer in India different from what you might expect:
That last point matters more than it might sound. It means a large share of Indian lung cancer patients qualify for daily tablet-based treatment that targets the cancer directly, instead of intravenous chemotherapy, which is why we test for it in almost everyone.
Lung cancer starts in the cells lining the airways or air sacs of the lungs, and it remains one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. The pattern here looks different from the West too: adenocarcinoma, a type that develops in the outer part of the lung, is by far the most common form in India, in smokers and non-smokers alike, and it carries a high chance of having a targetable genetic mutation, which opens the door to more precise, often gentler treatment.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) makes up about 85% of cases, and includes:
It's easy to write off lung symptoms as pollution or a lingering cold, especially in a city like Ahmedabad. Get checked if any of these last more than two to three weeks:
Smoking still matters, but it's no longer the whole story. Risk is also higher for:
Getting the full picture usually involves imaging first, then a tissue sample:
For anyone diagnosed with NSCLC, we conduct molecular testing on the tumour to check for mutations such as EGFR, ALK, and others. This isn't optional in our view: It's often the single biggest factor in choosing the right treatment.
Surgery is the main option for early-stage disease, usually done through small, minimally invasive incisions (VATS) rather than open surgery, which means less pain and a faster recovery. The amount of lung removed depends on the size and location of the tumour.
If your tumour carries a targetable mutation such as EGFR or ALK, targeted therapy, a daily tablet aimed at that specific mutation, is usually the first choice, ahead of chemotherapy, and tends to be easier to tolerate. Immunotherapy is an option for tumours that respond well to it, though it isn't used together with targeted therapy. For everyone else, chemotherapy remains an effective option, often combined with immunotherapy. Radiation, including highly focused SBRT for small early tumours, and combined chemoradiation for more advanced disease, rounds out the options depending on your case.
Lung cancer often comes with breathlessness, pain, and fatigue, and we treat managing those as part of your care, not an afterthought:
Lung cancer caught early is far easier to treat well. If something feels off and it's been a few weeks, it's worth getting checked.
© KD Cancer Centre. All Rights Reserved.
