Beijing lung cancer cases increase as air quality remains low

Beijing has seen an increase in a specific type of lung cancer in recent years, which has now been linked to the growing air quality crisis in the city and the rest of China, reports China Daily. An expert has suggested that the increase in lung cancer cases in Beijing could lead to a health impact that is greater than 2003's SARS outbreak.

Deputy director of the Beijing Office for Cancer Prevention and Control, Wang Ning told the news provider that the number of cases of lung adenocarcinoma being diagnosed in Beijing has increased. He also stated that the number of cases of squamous cell lung cancer in the city have dropped.

Squamous cell lung cancer is a type of non-small-cell cancer, whereas adenocarcinoma is a form of the disease that contains distinct tissue that is malignant. The former type of cancer is more commonly associated with smoking, according to experts, but adenocarcinoma has been found to be linked to exposure to air pollution and second-hand smoke.

If the air pollution crisis continues throughout China, the number of lung cancer cases could further increase. The continued high levels of damaging emissions could also lead to further health complications, as well as having a heavy impact upon the environment of the country and the wider world.

Some experts in the public health sector have suggested that there will a substantial increase in the number of people suffering from cardiovascular disease and lung cancer within five to seven years if air pollution throughout China is negated, Zhong Nanshan, from the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director if the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, told the news provider.

The continued high levels of air pollution throughout industrial and city areas of China has caused a number of concerns in recent years, with people worried about both the health and environmental impact of the country's continued use of coal. While the central government has pledged to lower emissions and improve overall conditions within cities, there appears to have been little impact on the heavy smog and overall poor air quality that Chinese citizens are regularly exposed to.