Davidson Nancy Glory1
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is rapidly emerging as a serious cause of mortality among all the cancers across the globe. Though it was linked to tobacco smoking for several decades, recent research has demonstrated that its incidence is similar among smokers and non-smokers; and also, among men and women alike. This study was done to evaluate the various diagnostic modalities in diagnosis of primary lung cancer among females from non-smoking population of Chennai. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was carried out among 31 female patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer by Computerized Tomography (CT), chest radiography and ultrasound, and also by Fiber Optic Bronchoscopy (FOB). The histological classification was carried out and TNM staging was done. RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 49 years. A majority of the participants (71%) were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma followed by 19.4% who were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. Among the participants with adenocarcinoma, 95.4% of them were diagnosed at advanced stages, beyond stage II. Adenocarcinoma was best diagnosed using CT, while squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma were best diagnosed with FOB. CONCLUSION Fiber optic bronchoscopy is a significant modality in diagnosing centrally located tumour and for staging purposes. It is essential that regular screening is carried out, among the suspected cases, without any gender bias.
