Kolkata, Feb. 4 -- Bengal is slowly becoming a major cancer hotspot of India, marked by a high incidence of lung cancer, and tobacco use is pegged as the major cause of this trend, according to medical experts.
A recent report highlighted that lung cancer accounts for 14 percent of all cancer cases in the state, compared to the national average of 6 percent.
"More than tobacco chewing, smoking is the top cause of lung cancer in the state. This also includes passive smoking, and the number of people who are active smokers are at an all-time high, especially in Kolkata. We are also observing that a lot of cancer patients come from industrial areas, hinting at the role played by air pollution too," says Prof (Dr). Amitabha Chakrabarti, Seni...