By Paul Mamattah
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) has hosted its first-ever Pan-Africa Conference on Lung Cancer in Accra, bringing together experts to discuss strategies for improving awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease across the continent.
The landmark event, brought together experts, policymakers, and healthcare stakeholders to address the rising burden of lung cancer across the continent, with a focus on improving awareness, diagnosis, and treatment.
Lung cancer, is emerging as a significant public health challenge in Africa, with an incidence rate of 5–6 cases per 100,000 people. Experts at the conference identified key contributing factors, including air pollution, the widespread use of biomass fuels for cooking, mining activities, and tobacco consumption. These risk factors, coupled with limited healthcare infrastructure and the overlapping symptoms of lung cancer and tuberculosis (TB), have created significant barriers to early detection and effective treatment.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of TriMar Strategies, Inc., Dr Mary Bussel, emphasized the urgent need for stronger tobacco control policies, noting that smoking accounts for 80–90% of lung cancer cases globally.

She urged African governments to fully implement the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to reduce tobacco-related cancers.
“Tobacco control is not just a health issue; it’s a matter of saving lives and protecting future generations,” she stated.
A major concern raised at the conference was the underreporting and misdiagnosis of lung cancer cases in Africa.
Dr Bussel, highlighted discrepancies between international cancer data and the actual number of cases on the continent, suggesting that many lung cancer cases are likely misdiagnosed as TB or pneumonia. This misdiagnosis often leads to delayed treatment and higher mortality rates.
The issue of misdiagnosis was a major focus of the conference. Prof. Kwadwo Koram, former Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, expressed concern over the high rate of lung cancer misdiagnoses in Africa.
He explained that in Ghana and many other African countries, a persistent cough, the most common early symptom of lung cancer is often mistaken for tuberculosis (TB) or pneumonia.
As a result, patients may undergo multiple rounds of TB or pneumonia treatment before lung cancer is even considered, by which time the disease has often reached an advanced and difficult-to-treat stage.
Prof. Koram, stressed the need for greater awareness among healthcare professionals and the general public to improve early detection.

He described lung cancer as both a medical and political issue, arguing that policy decisions are key to effective prevention and treatment.
“Everything is political. Even your breath is political,” he remarked. “If you don’t cry out, no one will hear you. Policy decisions are in the hands of politicians, and if they don’t prioritize lung cancer, nothing will change.” He stated.
He called for stronger political commitment to funding cancer research, implementing early detection programmes, and improving healthcare accessibility.
Prof. Koram also sought to correct common misconceptions about lung cancer, particularly the belief that only smokers are at risk.
While smoking remains the leading cause, he noted that a significant number of cases occur in non-smokers.
Prof. Koram ,shared a personal example of a female acquaintance in her 40s who had never smoked yet died of undiagnosed lung cancer, which was only discovered during an autopsy.
“There are things we can control, like tobacco use, but that doesn’t mean lung cancer will disappear entirely. We need to act on what we know while continuing to investigate other causes,” he said.
He acknowledged that smoking rates in Ghana have declined significantly over the years, which is a positive development. However, Prof. Koram warned that other diseases, like TB, often overshadow lung cancer in clinical settings, making it difficult for doctors to detect the disease early.
He urged the medical community to adopt better diagnostic strategies to help distinguish lung cancer from other respiratory illnesses.
The conference underscored the urgent need for early diagnosis, policy interventions, and increased awareness to combat lung cancer in Africa.
Experts called on governments and healthcare stakeholders to invest in screening programs and public education to reduce misdiagnosis and improve patient outcomes.