Lung cancer is the fourth most common oncological disease in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic, with 3,000 new cases annually in Slovakia and 6,600 in Czechia. Increasingly, it affects women who have never smoked, as shown by Mia Rajalin, who described “unusual fatigue, weight loss, night sweats and cough” before being diagnosed despite never smoking. Experts warn that months-long dry cough or shortness of breath are key warning signs, and women over 40 who never smoked now represent 20 percent of diagnosed cases. According to pneumologist Michal Šenitko, factors include air pollution, indoor pollution, radiation, unventilated cooking spaces, and hormone therapy and even incidental lung nodules found on unrelated scans must be followed up with CT or X-ray. Czech specialist Jiří Votruba noted that tumors have moved from central airways to the periphery, requiring new diagnostic approaches and closer cooperation among doctors. Early detection remains crucial, as lung cancer in stages one and two has a 90-percent chance of cure, making timely screening potentially life-saving.
Source: STVR
