Health experts warn against confusing TB symptoms with lung cancer

MWANZA: HEALTH experts at Bugando Zonal Referral Hospital in Mwanza have urged people experiencing symptoms commonly associated with tuberculosis (TB) to undergo comprehensive medical examinations to establish the correct diagnosis before starting treatment.

The experts said symptoms such as coughing up blood, chest pain, weight loss and night-time fever may indicate either TB or lung cancer, making proper screening essential.

Speaking over the weekend, the specialists revealed that findings from studies conducted at Bugando under the Multinational Lung Cancer Control Programme (MLCCP) showed that many patients with such symptoms had previously undergone TB treatment while actually suffering from lung cancer.

The MLCCP has been implemented at Bugando since 2018 with support from the US-based Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF). Bugando cancer specialist, Mr Lucas Kiyeji, said during a visit by BMSF delegates to assess the programme’s progress that the initiative initially focused on building the capacity of healthcare workers in hospitals surrounding Bugando to improve lung cancer detection.

“The programme began with training health practitioners on lung cancer awareness and diagnosis. Following that, Bugando started receiving many referrals of patients who had undergone TB treatment for long periods in nearby hospitals,” said Dr Kiyeji.

He explained that after undergoing further screening at Bugando, many of the patients were diagnosed with lung cancer instead of tuberculosis.

“They received fresh screening at Bugando and were later diagnosed with lung cancer. Some had undergone TB treatment up to three times without improvement because they had been receiving the wrong treatment,” he said.

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Dr Kiyeji expressed appreciation to the government and development partners for supporting the construction of a modern cancer treatment facility at Bugando Hospital. He said the facility has the capacity to accommodate four major and two smaller screening machines, significantly improving diagnostic services.

According to him, the improvements have reduced the waiting period for cancer test results to between seven and 14 days, compared to several months previously.

The experts also encouraged members of the public to undergo regular medical check-ups amid an increase in lung cancer cases, noting that Bugando currently receives at least five lung cancer patients every month.

The President of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Catherine Grimes, said the organisation remains committed to working with local health partners to strengthen lung cancer care, especially in areas where the disease has long gone undetected.

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According to her, the Foundation’s partnership with Bugando began around 2016, at a time when lung cancer was rarely suspected in Tanzania and many parts of Africa.

“At the time, many people believed most of these cases were tuberculosis. Lung cancer was not regarded as a major public health challenge in Tanzania or across the continent,” she said.

“Globally, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, claiming more lives than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined,” she added.

Grimes noted that one of the Foundation’s major interventions was encouraging health experts to closely examine patients attending TB clinics, particularly those who failed to improve despite receiving TB treatment. “That approach opened many eyes,” she said.