#Cancerregistry

Lung cancer is likely undercounted across sub-Saharan Africa, and the pattern has implications for Thailand as smoking shifts to lower-income markets and non-communicable diseases rise. Experts say better data and stronger health systems are essential to curb this deadly disease. Global cancer assessments indicate roughly 1.8 million deaths each year, underscoring why gaps in Africa’s reporting matter for Thai planners and communities alike.

Undercounting matters for prevention. Lung cancer is highly preventable through reduced smoking and early detection, yet many cases are detected late in low-resource settings when treatment options are limited. Clinicians in better-resourced areas note that higher observed rates often reflect stronger detection rather than greater regional severity, highlighting a global health issue: as infectious diseases come under control, non-communicable diseases like cancer rise in importance in lower-income countries, demanding new funding and health-system capacity.

Doctors and researchers warn that lung cancer is being grossly undercounted across sub‑Saharan Africa — a “hidden epidemic” masked by weak death registration, frequent misdiagnosis as tuberculosis, and late presentation — and the lessons have direct relevance for Thailand as tobacco companies pivot to low‑ and middle‑income markets and non‑communicable diseases rise in importance (NPR report on hidden epidemic). The global toll of lung cancer remains enormous: roughly 1.8 million deaths a year, making it the single deadliest cancer worldwide (IARC/GLOBOCAN global lung cancer data). The mismatch between apparent low lung‑cancer rates in much of Africa and what clinicians are seeing on the ground highlights how gaps in diagnosis, data and health systems can hide a growing threat that also matters for Thailand’s health planners and communities.