Delhi-NCR Pollution Spike: Lung Screening Tests Surge as Breathlessness Cases Rise

Worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR has brought a huge surge in the number of “healthy people” undergoing lung screening tests as they complain of breathlessness due to rising pollution levels. Hospitals across the national capital region say they have reported around 200,000 acute respiratory illness cases as pollution remains one of the main triggers behind the surge in patients. Most of the patients say they do not smoke or have asthma. According to doctors, most people are suffering from persistent cough, sore throat, and eye irritation, apart from not being able to breathe properly. AQI in Delhi continues to be in the severe category as cold wave conditions, which include dense fog, have disrupted daily life across north India. According to the Central

Pollution Control Board, Delhi’s Air Quality Index stood at 390 this morning, a marginal improvement from 398 a day earlier but still firmly in the “very poor” range and threatening to tip into severe levels.

What is a lung screening test?

Also known as Low-Dose Computed Tomography, or LDCT scan, this test is a proactive way to find lung cancer early in high-risk people – usually long-term smokers, before symptoms appear, using low-dose X-rays to create detailed lung images to spot small tumours that standard X-rays might miss, making treatment more effective. Screening means that you have a regular test or imaging to catch a disease before it starts causing symptoms. You might wonder why people are looking for cancer if they do not have many symptoms, but owing to toxic air filled with chemicals and dust, many people are going for protective screening in early stages, when it is easier to treat (if there is a diagnosis). Lung cancer is often found in later stages, when survival rates are lower. Usually, the test is advised at the age of 50 years, if you smoke or quit within the past 15 years. While anyone can get lung cancer, people who smoke or used to smoke are at a higher risk.

How does a lung screening test work?

Lung cancer screening works by getting pictures of the inside of your chest. While the pictures may not diagnose cancer on their own, they show small masses that can then be tested for cancer. You usually do not need to do anything to prepare for a lung cancer screening CT scan, but ask your doctor to make sure they don’t have instructions for you. You might want to wear clothing that is easy to change out of and minimal jewellery. Let the staff at the imaging center know if you are sick, especially with a respiratory illness. They may have you reschedule your scan to make sure it’s as accurate as possible. During a lung cancer screening test:

• The technician performing the scan will have you remove jewelry, watches, or metal items. They may have you change into a gown from the waist up.
• You will lie on a bed that goes into the scanner.
• The bed will slide into a scanning machine that looks like a tube or a donut.
• The scanner will rotate around you, and the table might move forward and backward while the scanner takes pictures.
• The technician will tell you either to breathe in or breathe out and to hold your breath at certain points during the scan. Follow their directions as closely as possible. The technician won’t be in the scanning room with you, but they’ll be right outside and talking to you through a microphone.
• When the provider has all the images they need, the bed will slide out of the scanner so you can get up.

Advantages of the lung screening test

If there are any issues like smaller tumours, you can see them on the machine. According to studies, using plain X-rays to screen for lung cancer suggests that it is not as effective at catching cancer early or improving survival rates as LDCT. LDCT has a lower dose of radiation than a standard CT.