The global challenge of lung cancer: the dilemma of lung cancer control in developing countries

Globally, lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death, with a wide-ranging impact, not only in developed countries, but also seriously threatening public health in developing countries. Despite continued advances in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, developing countries face challenges in the fight against lung cancer. These challenges relate not only to the health and lives of individuals, but also to the sustainable development of society as a whole. This paper will explore in depth the difficulties faced by developing countries in the fight against lung cancer, including inadequate medical resources, low patient screening rates and lack of health awareness, and call for global attention to this health challenge and common solutions.First, the lack of medical resources is the primary problem faced by developing countries in the fight against lung cancer. In many developing countries, poor health-care facilities and a shortage of specialized medical personnel have directly contributed to inadequate early detection and diagnostic capacity for lung cancer. Due to the lack of the necessary medical equipment and technology, many patients with lung cancer are unable to receive timely diagnosis and treatment at an early stage of the disease, often at an advanced stage by the time the disease is discovered, and the difficulty of treatment and the risk of death increase significantly. In addition, lack of medical resources has made it difficult for patients to have access to effective treatment programmes, including surgery, treatment, chemotherapy, etc., even after lung cancer has been diagnosed, which has further exacerbated the mortality rate from lung cancer.Second, low patient screening rates are another major challenge in the fight against lung cancer in developing countries. Due to lack of health awareness, early symptoms and risk factors of lung cancer are often poorly understood by the public, leading to extremely low prevalence of lung cancer screening. In many developing countries, lung cancer screening is rarely undertaken at the initiative and is often neglected or misperceived as other diseases even after the appearance of obvious symptoms, thus delaying the optimal timing of treatment. In addition, the cost of screening for lung cancer is a significant burden for many low-income families, which also limits the availability of screening.Moreover, lack of health awareness is a deep-rooted cause of lung cancer control difficulties in developing countries. In many developing countries, awareness of the prevention and early identification of lung cancer is insufficient owing to low levels of education and limited public knowledge of health. This is reflected not only in the prevalence of personal habits, such as smoking and alcohol abuse, but also in the neglect of early symptoms of lung cancer. Lack of health awareness has led to high rates of lung cancer and mortality, making it a public health challenge in many developing countries.Faced with these challenges, developing countries need to take a range of measures to improve the status of lung cancer control. First, the strengthening of the health infrastructure and the availability and quality of health-care resources are the basis for improving the capacity to combat lung cancer. The Government should increase investment in the health sector, improve health facilities and develop more medical professionals to meet public health needs. Second, the promotion of lung cancer screening projects to increase the public screening rate. Through cooperation between governmental and non-governmental organizations, free or low-cost lung cancer screening services are provided to encourage public participation in screening and early detection and treatment of lung cancer. In addition, strengthening health education and raising public health awareness are key to the prevention and control of lung cancer. Public awareness of the dangers of lung cancer is promoted through media campaigns, community education and school education, among others, to increase knowledge of the prevention of lung cancer and early identification methods.Overall, the fight against lung cancer is a global challenge, especially in developing countries. Faced with inadequate medical resources, low patient screening rates and lack of health awareness, developing countries need to take effective measures to improve the status of lung cancer control. At the same time, the international community should pay attention to the plight of developing countries in the fight against lung cancer and provide the necessary support and assistance to meet this global health challenge. Only a global partnership can effectively reduce lung cancer morbidity and mortality and protect human health and life.