According to pulmonologist Rafał Sokołowski, new nicotine products, worsening air pollution, and delayed diagnoses are driving the trend.
Around 25,000 Poles are diagnosed with lung cancer every year, yet only 13 percent survive beyond five years.
“Classic cigarette use has dropped, but that’s only part of the picture,” Sokołowski told Poland’s PAP news agency.
“The popularity of newer nicotine products—especially e-cigarettes—has surged.”
He warned that e-cigarette liquids are far from harmless: “Nicotine inhaled as an aerosol has carcinogenic potential and causes real changes in the lungs.”
Air pollution further increases the risk, fueling chronic respiratory illnesses.
Lung cancer continues to be one of the most frequently late-diagnosed cancers.
“It doesn’t cause pain, so patients often seek help only when symptoms like coughing, coughing up blood, or chest-wall pain appear,” Sokołowski explained—by which point the disease is often advanced.
Efficient, modern diagnostics are crucial, he stressed, including advanced endoscopic navigation systems. Artificial intelligence is also gaining importance in assessing imaging results, helping identify lesions that require further testing.
In Poland, only about 20 percent of patients qualify for curative surgery; most require conservative or palliative treatment. Thus, early detection remains essential, Sokołowski argues.
November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month in Poland, with nationwide campaigns aimed at boosting awareness, promoting prevention—particularly among smokers—and highlighting available treatment options.
(mo)
Source: PAP