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Musa Hoxha, a physician at the Pulmonology Clinic in Pristina Hospital, in an interview to Online Economics, says the incidence brings about 40 new cases per 100,000 residents.
He says that despite missing the cancer registry, the number of people affected by lung cancer ranges from 600 to 700 within a year.
"Regarding the number of cases, every day we have to do with lung cancer. But in Kosovo, we do not have a cancer registry and we do not have the exact number of patients diagnosed during the year. Although Kosovo has not cancer registry, some incidence still goes to about 40 new cases per 100,000 population. But we don't have accurate data on lung cancer in new cases,” said the Pulmonologist Musa Hoxha.
Hoxha said further that compared to the countries in the region, Kosovo has the least number of people with lung cancer. On the basis of incidence, Hoxha points out that Hungary leads with the highest number of cancer patients, followed by Serbia, which ranks second.
According to him, the number of new cases of lung cancer has increased in recent years, not only in Kosovo but worldwide.
“In recent years, the number has been increasing in terms of neoplasms in general, especially lung cancer, not only in our country but also in the countries of the region and in the world. It is now thought that there are 2 million new cases of lung cancer diagnosed each year,” said the pulmonologist.
He also listed some of the leading causes of this type of cancer, from smoking to asbestos.
"The main causes of lung cancer is smoking, but we also have endogenous factors, such as genetic but also pollution factors, meaning air pollutants and radon gas emitted from inside the earth and radioactive elements. One of the causes is asbestos,” said Hoxha.
Something worth noting, according to Hoxha, is that the symptoms in these patients always appear late.
"Lung cancer is diagnosed in a late phase not only in our country but also in the more developed western countries because of the signs. First, a cough that lasts for more than 4 weeks, especially when the cough starts with blood rash, means blood clots, then chest pain, fatigue, fatigue, weight loss. These are the symptoms that give us signs that something is going on. But proper diagnosis begins if a lung X-ray is performed," he said.
Hoxha said that 99 percent of lung cancers are malignant, but cases that can be operated have a life expectancy of up to five years.
All cases of lung cancer, after being diagnosed, are referred to the Oncology Clinic of UCCK for further treatment.
Lung cancer belongs to the first group in terms of cancers in general in males, while females enter the third group.