STAGING OF LUNG CARCINOMA AT PRESENSATION TO A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN SOUTHERN RAJASTHAN

Background: Cancer is more fearful disease and more than two -third of cancer patients are in advanced and incurable stage at the time of diagnosis. Objective: To study staging of lung carcinoma at presentation in a tertiary care hospital Udaipur, Rajasthan and to establish importance of early screening in lung carcinoma to reduce mortality and morbidity. Materials and methods: A total of 60 patients were diagnosed as carcinoma lung admitted in M.B. Government hospital, R.N.T. Medical College, Udaipur, were included in this study. Results: The study included 60 patients with a male to female ratio 6.5:1, probably due to more smoking rates among Indian males (30%) when compared to females 3.2%. Age distribution 23 to 80 years, maximum patients were found between 60-69(35%) years and least in less than 30(1.67%) years. Our patients were rural dwellers owing to higher percentage of Indian population (67%) and higher percentage of rural population smoke (46%) as compared to urban (27%) with earlier age of onset and longer duration of continuity in smoking as well as higher bidi smoking rate in rural (44.6%) than urban (17.8%). Conclusion: Lung cancer is more predominant in elderly male ,rural dwellers who smoke early and for longer duration.