Rasika Bombatkar’s late lung-cancer diagnosis shows why age- and smoking-based screening can overlook young, fit non-smokers with persistent symptoms.
Rasika Bombatkar was young, physically active and had never smoked. When she developed a persistent cough during the monsoon four years ago, doctors initially found little reason to suspect lung cancer.
After the cough continued, Bombatkar sought medical advice again. She eventually insisted on undergoing a CT scan, which revealed lung cancer that had already spread to her lymph nodes. The former physiotherapist was diagnosed approximately two months after her symptoms began.
Her experience highlights a critical gap in lung-cancer detection: screening programmes are designed primarily around age and smoking history, leaving many younger non-smokers outside routine eligibility.
Why Screening Can Miss Non-Smokers
Low-dose computed tomography, or LDCT, can detect lung cancer before symptoms appear. However, testing an entire population could lead to unnecessary procedures, false-positive findings, overdiagnosis and repeated radiation exposure.
Consequently, evidence-based guidelines generally reserve annual LDCT screening for people considered at high risk. The American Cancer Society recommends it for adults aged 50–80 who currently smoke or previously smoked and have accumulated at least 20 pack-years of exposure.
Bombatkar did not meet these criteria. Her case shows the important distinction between screening and diagnosis: screening is intended for people without symptoms, while a persistent cough or other concerning symptom may require diagnostic investigation irrespective of age or smoking history.
Lung Cancer Burden in India
India recorded an estimated 1.12 lakh lung-cancer cases and more than 98,000 deaths in 2024, according to figures cited from the Global Cancer Observatory. Nearly 45% of Indian patients are reportedly diagnosed only after the disease has spread.
Researchers are exploring whether risk-assessment models could identify vulnerable non-smokers by considering family history, air pollution, second-hand smoke and occupational exposure. However, evidence is not yet strong enough to support population-wide LDCT screening for healthy young people.
Bombatkar’s experience does not mean every lingering cough indicates cancer. It does show why persistent or worsening symptoms should not be dismissed solely because someone is young, fit or has never smoked. Medical evaluation is especially important for a cough that does not resolve, unexplained weight loss, breathlessness, chest pain or coughing up blood.
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