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The mystery rise of lung cancer in non-smokers

Although tobacco-related lung cancers still account for the majority of diagnoses worldwide, smoking rates have been declining for several decades. As the number of smokers continues to fall in many countries around the world, the proportion of lung cancer occurring in people who have never smoked is on the rise. Between 10 and 20% of lung cancer diagnoses are now made in individuals who have never smoked.

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Featured

 Colorless, odorless gas likely linked to alarming rise in non-smoking lung cancer

Doctors say this concerning rise in non-smoking lung cancer cases is likely linked to long-term, high exposures of radon gas. This colorless, odorless gas is emitted from the breakdown of radioactive material naturally occurring underground that then seeps through building foundations. The gas can linger and accumulate in people’s homes and lungs silently unless they know to test for it.

 The White Ribbon Project

The White Ribbon Project ( The WRP) promotes awareness about lung cancer by changing public perception of the disease. Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. We want people to know that the White Ribbon Project ribbon is a symbol of lung cancer awareness and lets them know that they are not alone. They are loved, and there is a huge community of lung cancer survivors, caregivers, and advocates there for them. Each ribbon is handmade by a survivor or someone who loves a survivor. A lot of time and effort goes into crafting each ribbon. Our hope is that when a survivor receives their ribbon, they know that it was made for them with love and care, and they are worth it.

 Why is there an increase in lung cancer among women who have never smoked?

One of the most significant risk factors for lung cancer in non-smokers is genetic mutations, especially mutations in the EGFR gene. This gene provides instructions for producing a protein on the surface of cells involved in growth and division. Mutations in this gene drive uncontrolled cell division and tumour growth. They are found in 50% of lung adenocarcinomas in non-smoking Asian women and 19% in non-smoking western women – compared with 10–20% in non-smoking men.

Articles of Interest

How Is Lung Cancer In Non-Smokers Spreading?

Various factors causing lung cancer in non- smokers like biological, genetic and environmental issues. It’s a serious subtype of disease, not just a mere statistical irregularity. Non-smoking lung cancer patients display specific genetic mutations, such as EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) or ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) mutations, which impacts both the development of the disease and the effectiveness of targeted therapies. Additionally, non-smokers are prone to developing adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer that spreads in the outer regions of the lungs. Apposite to lung cancer caused by smoking, which typically grows as squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma more subtly, often leading to delayed diagnosis.

I’m a 34-Year-Old Nonsmoker Who Got Lung Cancer. These Were My First Symptoms

“I finally had an answer to a problem that took 15 ER and urgent care visits over 366 days to solve.” If you get a diagnosis like this, it’s important to have a say in your treatment, who you want to see, and how often you want to see them. Trust your body.

Lung cancer in patients who have never smoked — an emerging disease

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Although smoking-related lung cancers continue to account for the majority of diagnoses, smoking rates have been decreasing for several decades. Lung cancer in individuals who have never smoked (LCINS) is estimated to be the fifth most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide in 2023, preferentially occurring in women and Asian populations.

This must be a mistake! Why non-smokers get lung cancer

The average age of someone diagnosed with lung cancer is 70, but a new group of young cancer victims has emerged—non-smokers under 40. This group of otherwise healthy young adults face their first challenge before diagnosis. Their symptoms are often ignored or mistaken for something else so the cancer grows, unchecked

Beyond tobacco: Lung cancer in nonsmokers

Here's what can predispose you to the deadliest malignancy, even if you've never taken a puff.

Even Among People Who Never Smoked, Diagnoses of Lung Cancer Are Rising

Lung cancer has always been viewed as a disease of smokers, or even ex-smokers. But now, doctors say the deadly cancer may be showing up more often in patients who never smoked at all. The disease is still a far bigger worry for smokers and former smokers, but there's good reason to take a closer look at so-called never-smokers with lung cancer. Recently, researchers discovered that female never-smokers are far more likely to respond to the new targeted therapies for lung cancer -- Iressa and Tarceva.

Health ‘But I never smoked’: A growing share of lung cancer cases is turning up in an unexpected population

Breast cancer wouldn’t have surprised her; being among the 1 in 8 women who develop it over their lifetime isn’t statistically improbable. Neither would have colorectal cancer; knowing the risk, Mandi Pike “definitely” planned to have colonoscopies as she grew older.

Lung cancer diagnoses on the rise among never-smokers worldwide

It is not known what proportion of global lung cancer cases are in never-smokers, only that evidence suggests it is rising. Scientists are racing to learn more about what else is causing lung cancer, beyond smoking.

Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers

With the overall rates of lung cancer and tobacco smoking declining, the evaluation of lung cancer in non-smokers has become of clinical interest. Several studies have suggested that lung cancer in non-smokers is different from both a biologic and epidemiologic perspective such that it should be looked at as a completely distinct entity

NIH study illuminates origins of lung cancer in never smokers

A genomic analysis of lung cancer in people with no history of smoking has found that a majority of these tumors arise from the accumulation of mutations caused by natural processes in the body.

Non-Smokers Suffer Lung Cancer Stigma

Smoking is such a well-known cause of lung cancer that many don't realize thousands who never smoked get the diagnosis. The great majority are women. Recent research shows it's really a different disease than smoking-related lung cancer. But those with the diagnosis say they suffer the same stigma.

The Shock of Lung Cancer, When It Strikes Nonsmokers Share full article

Although lung cancer is inextricably linked to smoking in the public mind (and in the minds of most doctors), each year tens of thousands of people who never smoked get this challenging cancer. They are often the subject of much head shaking. What could have caused their cancer?

What we're learning from lung cancer patients who never smoked

Worsening air pollution globally is causing lung cancer rates to rise everywhere. A look at Taiwan, where a majority of new cases affects non-smokers, offers powerful lessons for the rest of the world.

Why Do Healthy Non-Smokers Get Lung Cancer?

The latest research on why "anyone with lungs is at risk," and what's being done about it.

Why Even Non-Smokers Are at Risk for Lung Cancer

When Arielle Densen's mother -- a lifelong non-smoker -- was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in 2010, Densen, 27, was shocked by how little people know about the disease. So she decided to get the message out....

Young, Healthy, and Dying of Lung Cancer

One of the things Jill cared about most was dispelling the myth that lung cancer was a “smoker’s disease,” a stigma that has plagued advocacy efforts to raise funding for research. As a result, the lung cancer survival rate has been stagnant for years, while that of other cancers like breast cancer have soared.

‘I Was Diagnosed With Stage 4 Lung Cancer at 25’

Danielle James was given six months to live. Six years later, she opens up to Glamour about how her cancer helped her build the future she never thought she'd have.

Resources

5 Signs of Lung Cancer Even Nonsmokers Need to Know

Up to 20% of cases occur in folks who’ve never touched a cigarette.

6 Things Besides Cigarettes That Have Been Linked to Lung Cancer

Yes, smoking is the No. 1 risk factor for lung cancer. People who smoke are up to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer than people who don’t. Even the occasional cigarette raises your risk, as does hanging around someone who smokes. (More than 7,000 nonsmokers die from lung cancer due to secondhand smoke each year.) But anyone can get lung cancer. Here are the other risk factors that help explain the 10 to 20 percent of lung cancer deaths not linked to tobacco.

CDC

Lung cancer can be caused by risk factors other than smoking cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. Examples include exposure to other people's smoke (called secondhand smoke), radon, air pollution, a family history of lung cancer, and asbestos.