Air pollution is always a serious problem and a hot issue in modern China. It was caused by burning of fuels, power generation, industrial production, automobile exhaust emissions and etc. The most hazardous air pollution in Beijing is called smog which contain PM 2.5, a breathable particle contains heavy metals and other toxic substances. When it enters the lung, it will never be expelled or break down, so it harms the human respiratory system. Many studies show that air pollution is a significant factor which contributes to lung cancer incidence. Although there are around 0.3 billion people in China smoke, the sharp increase of lung cancer patients is also including non smokers. In 2015, there are around 0.73 million new lung cancer patients in China and it takes up a huge portion of cancer incidence. Researchers have conducted investigation of lung cancer incidences in Beijing. After comparing and contrasting, they find that smog and lung cancer are related. Patients of lung cancer also include non smokers and this is quite disaccord with people’s common sense on the cause of lung cancer. The objective of this essay is to figure out the linkage between air pollution and lung cancer incident. The goal is to show that PM 2.5 from the smog is the major factor causes lung cancer and increases the mortality.
Mortality and cancer incidence have increased at an alarming rate in China making cancer the primary causes of deaths among the population since 2010. China has experienced a significant increase in the incidences of lung cancer in the past decade. Long-term exposure to the polluted air is reflected on as the main cause of the health issues for people in China. The incidence of mortality and cancer in China have increased making it the main cause of death in this area. Cancer has also been regarded as a major public health problem in China. More than 4 million people were diagnosed with cancer in 2015. Research also shows that close to 3 million people died from the disease in the same year. In this situation, it is clear that Chinese people is facing a major challenge from cancer as a result of the high incidences and high mortality of the disease.
It is approximated that 22% of the new lung cancer cases over the world and 27% of the deaths caused by the diseases occur in China. Mortality rates in this area have decreased significantly since 2006 whereby the rates for men and women have plummeted by 21.4% and 21.1% respectively (Guo, Zeng, Zheng, Li, et al, 2015). Some of the lung cancer related cases in China can be prevented since they are caused by unhealthy behaviors such as smoking. That accounts for a large part of overall lung cancer deaths in this area. On the other hand, outdoor air pollution from industrial waste which forms smog is considered as the worst across the globe.
The industrial provinces of China have recorded lung cancer rates in the hundreds of thousands (Forsythe, 2016). However, the Chinese government have failed to acknowledge and deal with the epidemic. Hospitals across this place are struggling to cope with the increasing cases. This kind of disease has positioned itself as a health concern in China and is regarded as the top cancer that is identified in this area. Additionally, it is also leading cause of death in past two decades in this area. The occurrence proportion of lung cancer in this area is comparatively great and is growing at an alarming rate as compared to other parts of the globe. Lung cancer is mainly associated with cigarette smoking. Consequently, China is composed of a large smoking population that fuels the increase in lung cancer incidence. However, the air pollution situation in China have subjected to the population to lung cancer.
Research shows that the cases of Cancer in the region are likely to upsurge significantly in the next decade (Chen, Zheng & Zhang, 2013). Medical experts from this area have indicated that there will be more than 800,000 diagnoses and approximately 700,000 deaths annually by 2020 due to the overwhelming cases of cancer. The incidence of cancer in the region has been increasing because of air pollution in this area that is unmitigated. According to the World Health Organization, China accounts for a third of all the deaths caused by lung cancer all over the world.
Now China is the world’s largest consumer of tobacco products. A study conducted in the region found that one in three young men will die due to tobacco-related illnesses (Lee, 2017).
The death rate from cases of cancer has increased significantly in the industrialized provinces in north China. It is estimated that the deaths have quadrupled in the last four decades. It is also predicted the deaths will continue increasing in the next decade due to the worsening air pollution. Tobacco use in China has been used to denied the studies that the smog is a potential cause of the majority lung cancer cases that are experienced in this day and age. Evidently, tobacco usage is a major cause to deaths in China with over 1.2 million annual deaths. The rate of tobacco usage in the region has led to estimates of 3.5 million deaths by 2030 (Lee, 2017). China has more than 300 million smokers that account for more than 40% of smokers all over the world.
The cases of lung cancer vary significantly between rural and urban areas in China. In this case, it is evident that the mortality is higher in urban regions where the rate is 150.18 in 100,000 while the rate in rural areas is 128.65 in 100,000 (Lee, 2017). The increasing overall lung cancer incidence in China has caused the direct and indirect costs of the disease to become very high in this area. The National Health Service Survey of 2015 showed that cancer recorded the highest economic cost as compared to all other kind of diseases. The cumulative tendency of lung cancer impermanence has subjected the fiscal costs of the disease to grow significantly in the past decade posing a major burden on the Chinese government.
The case of Hebei Province is a typical indication of the effects of air smog and the risk of cancer and mortality deaths in China. It is stated that lung cancer cases have increased by 306% between 1973 and 2012 (Chen, Zheng & Zhang, 2013). The rate of cancer cases was found to soar above the nation’s ordinary accounting for a majority of the deceases experienced in the region. As of 2012, the number of deaths from lung cancer cases in the area that houses about 74 million people was estimated at 35.22 in every 100,000 people (Chen, Zheng & Zhang, 2013). Hospital reports in the region reported that the cases of lung cancer were increasing at an alarming rate. Consequently, this issue has not been reported broadly. It is assumed that the political influence revolving around air pollution has influenced the impact of curbing the growing concern. However, it is evident that air pollution in the Province has increased significantly since 2008 posing a major risk on air pollution.
The air pollution case in Hebei Province is rated as worst around all provinces in China. Consequently, Chinese officials have been known to censor news relating to how the economic growth of the nation has resulted in a widespread degradation of the environment. China is the world leader in steel production and accounts for half the globes output. Satellite photos depicting the Northern parts of China reflect on a cloud of smog that is centered on the province of Hebei (Chen, Zheng & Zhang, 2014).
Reports have also shown that lung cancer proportions in other regions such as Tianjin and Beijing have been increased significantly. According to the report, the rate of lung cancer among men in Beijing was 75.2 in every 100,000 as of 2010 that recorded a 50% rise from 2002 (Chen, Zheng & Zhang, 2014). Consequently, it is suprised that the number has increased and continues to increase as the issue of air pollution goes unaddressed in the regions. The rate of lung cancer related cases among women whose smoking rated was lower than men indicated an increase of 50% during the same period with 45.9 of every 100,000 women shown to have lung cancer.
A research by Cheng, Zheng and Zhang (2014) pointed out that air pollution is the main root of lung cancer linked deaths. Additionally, the National Central Cancer Registry reported that China records approximately 605,946 lung cancer diagnose. The mortality and lung cancer incidence in China is continually increasing based on death statistics conducted in this area. In this case, the number of lung cancer related death in the 1970s was 5.47 in 100,000 that represented 7.43% of all cancer-related deaths in the region. During this time, lung cancer was ranked fifth among other forms of cancers and depicted on a low ranking as compared to other countries in the world. A second survey conducted in the 1990s showed an increase in lung cancer deaths with its rate at 1.27 in 100,000. Lung cancer during this period of time was ranked as the third cause of death among other forms of cancer. In 2006, a third survey was conducted in China to depict on the cancer patterns in this area. The survey indicated that lung cancer had a death rate of 30.83 in every 100,000 people. Lung cancer in 2006 accounted for 22.69% of cancer deaths in China.
Lung cancer cases have laid a heavy burden on hospitals in China (Lee, 2017). There is no doubt that lung cancer is the the top source of cancer mortality in China. Consequently, the high mortality and morbidity of lunch cancer are mainly because a majority of people in this are are detected at progressive stages of the disease. Risk factors such as tobacco usage have been categorized as major cause to the increasing number of cancer-related situations in China. However, air pollution has been determined to have major impacts on the development of lung cancer. The increasing cases of air pollution in the region pose a major threat to future prospects of lung cancer (Lee, 2017). In this case, it is possible that the disease will continue to be a problem in the future.
Studies have shown that air pollution is capable of increasing the risk of contracting lung cancer. On an individual scale, the increase in the risk of contracting cancer is minimal. However, the exposure of a large number of people to air pollution increases its effect. Studies have also shown that the risk associated with smoking has a greater effect on the growth of lung cancer as compared to air contamination in China.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer recognized that air contamination as a major cause of cancer in 2013 (National Cancer Center, 2012). Air pollution was considered to be high related for cases of lung cancer. However, some of the studies showed that it has a lower effect as compared to other risk factors such as smoking. It was found that tiny particle matters are an important part of air pollution (Cohen, 2010). The particles are stated to be the main cause of lung cancers that are as a result of pollution. In this case, IARC concludes that the risk of developing cancer upsurges significantly with the levels of PM2.5 in the air.
China has recorded extraordinary levels of PM2.5 in their air due to the increasing cases of pollution. The grey fog in the sky called smog, has many harmful matter such as toxic gases, PM10, PM2.5 and etc. In this case, the high levels of the particles in the air pose a significant threat to the health of the populace by increasing their probability of contracting the disease. The smog in China is formed due to the mixture of tiny liquid and solid particles that are made up of organic chemicals, acids, metals, and dust (Kelland & Nebehay, 2016). It is mainly found in the industrialized parts of the nation due to the emissions from the factories. Consequently, breathing in the particles poses a major harm to the health of the victims as the small particles tend to get trapped in the lungs.
The smog in China is related to the increase in lung cancer incident and mortality based on the fact that the WHO stated that particulate matter plays a major contribution to causing lung cancer. In 2013, a child in China who was only eight years old was detected to have Lung cancer in China proving that the air pollution in the region is a contributing factor of the disease. According to the report by WHO, it was stated that the air people breath is composed of substances that are capable of causing cancer. As a result, outdoor air pollution was categorized as a major environmental hazard.
Air pollution is a major risk factor because it subject’s lung cancer to groups of people who would not normally be at risk of the disease. As a result, the cases of lung cancer among non-smokers and women have increased significantly in the past decade making it evident that it is a major cause of the disease. China recorded more than 4 million new cancer cases in 2015. Out of these, about 730,000 were lung cancer patients. The number is considered alarming since it reflects on 36% of all the lung cancer cases across the globe (Zhao, Dai, Chen & Li, 2010).
The air pollution in China has fueled the increasing rate of lung cancer in the region as more people become prone to the disease. The health authorities in China have been subjected to major challenges in establishing the cause of lung cancer is not linked to smoking and develop deep in the lungs. This area has in the past decade witnessed a sharp increase in the disease especially among groups that are not susceptible. Xe Qi who is a thoracic surgeon indicates that the existence of cancer among non-susceptible groups is due to their prolonged contact to air pollution (Zhao, Dai, Chen & Li, 2010). The health authorities in the region have been assessing the health of populace in regards to the air contamination since 2013. However, there is minimal research leading to the need for an extended time to establish the long term health issues of air pollution in China.
There are two main categories of lung cancer that are squamous and adenocarcinoma. Lung squamous is mainly related to smoking. However, hospitals in China have discovered that there is an increasing number of patients with cases of adenocarcinoma especially among women and individuals without a history of smoking. Research shows that the number of patients diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma has surpassed those with lung squamous. Evidently, this is alarming considering that the smoking rate in China has not declined in the past decade. 15 years ago, lung squamous was the major cause of lung cancer and mainly occurred among smokers. 15 years later, the incidence of adenocarcinoma exceeded the incidence of squamous, which means there might be something vital to lung cancer happened. It is air pollution that enlarge the lung cancer rate.
The Cancer Prevention and Control center in China indicated that the major increase in lung cancer occurrences in this area was related to the worsening air pollution in the region (National Cancer Center, 2012). The increasing proportion of lung cancer patients were diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma that is associated with air pollution. Global studies on the lung cancer issue in China have associated the disease with air pollution exposure. However, they have failed to establish a direct link between lung cancer and air pollution. It can be assumed that the increasing cases of lung cancer are due to continued contact to air pollution based on previous studies conducted in other industrialized nations that showed an increase in the rate of adenocarcinoma. Lung adenocarcinoma is currently the major diagnosed form of lung cancer in China.
A study by Guo, Zeng, Zheng, et al. (2015) linked lung cancer incidences with PM2.5 in the air. In this case, the smog in China is related to the rise of mortality and lung cancer in the region. The study suggested that effective control measures are capable of reducing the air pollution levels leading to a significant reduction in the lung cancer cases among the Chinese people. Consequently, studies linking PM2.5 with air pollution are limited. As a result, this may undervalue the connotation between lung cancer and air contamination incidences. The study indicated that the region is subjected to extraordinary intensities of PM2.5 air pollution at unprecedented rates posing a lung cancer burden on the world.
It is not clear what role the chronic smog that plagues the region has on lung cancer cases. However, studies have proven that air pollution plays a major role in increasing the risk of contracting other diseases. WHO categorized air contamination as a cancer-causing agent (WHO, 2013). In this case, it is clear that the smog is a major contributor to the increasing cases of lung cancer in the region.
Researchers from the Hebei Province in China have claimed that there is sufficiently evident to prove that the exposure to outdoor pollution is bound to result in lung cancer. They argue the case of China is the reason why the World Health Organization has classified air contamination and PMP 2.5 particle as a class one carcinogen (WHO, 2013). However, the Chinese government has continued to censor news in relation to the health implication of the chronic pollution that is experienced in a majority of cities and rural areas in the country.
Air pollution enlarges the risk of contracting lung cancer, especially among smokers. It is estimated that half of the male population in China smoke consuming approximately a third of the world cigarettes. With the effect of smoking and air pollution, Chinese males have more exposure to lung cancer. The most significant increases in lung cancer have been witnessed in coal and steel producing provinces in China. The government has initiated a significant number of public health programs that are aimed at addressing the cancer issue in the region. The programs have reflected on the government focus on cancer deterrence and control. The changes of the cancer liability reflect on the overall mortality of the lung cancer. The World Health Organization has estimated that China will have more than 1,000,000 cases of lung cancer diagnosed annually as of 2025 (WHO, 2013).
Chinese authorities seems to be very strict with the report of lung cancer and air pollution. Air pollution was not formally and seriously reported until 2011. In 2011, it is the U.S. ambassador, Gary Locke, emphasized the seriousness of air pollution in Beijing and prompted the Chinese media to report the air quality index. The US embassy and consulate in China helped to report the air quality every day. Their data is always worse than the report generated by Chinese agencies, which indicated that the Chinese authorities were unwilling to tell the truth, because they did not hope to negatively affect the governance. Thus, they somehow try to deceive the public to address people’s concern. Fortunately, Chinese authorities did not block the news or published materials which stated that there is a serious health threat from air pollution or lung cancer is linked to air pollution.
In conclusion, Lung cancer has been categorized as the primary cancer that is identified in China and accounts for a majority of all cancer-related deaths in this area. This has subjected China to face a serious challenge from the disease as a result of the high incidences and high mortality of the disease. China is composed of a large smoking population that fuels the increase in lung cancer cases. The increasing rate of air pollution and in the number of smokers suggests that the cases of Cancer are likely to upsurge significantly in the following decade. Currently, China accounts for a third of all the deaths caused by lung cancer all over the world. The case of Hebei Province and other cities such as Beijing and Tianjin prove that the smog is a major contributor to lung cancer incidence that have continued to increase in these area. The mortality and lung cancer incidence in China is continually increasing according to the death statistics collected in these areas. Studies have shown that air pollution is capable of increasing the danger of contracting lung cancer. Additionally, global agencies found that outdoor air contamination as a major cause of cancer in 2013. China has recorded high levels of PM2.5 in their air due to the increasing cases of pollution. Consequently, the high levels of the particles in the air pose a significant threat to the health of the population by increasing their probability of contracting with the disease. Therefore, it can be concluded that the smog in China is related to the increase in lung cancer incident and mortality based on the fact that the WHO stated that particulate matter plays a major contribution in causing lung cancer.