A recent study has found that more people who have never smoked are being diagnosed with lung cancer. Published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine on World Cancer Day, the research analyzed data from the Global Cancer Observatory 2022. It revealed that lung cancer is now the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide among non-smokers, with most cases being a type called adenocarcinoma.
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In 2022, there were about 1.6 million new lung cancer cases in men and 910,000 in women. As smoking rates have decreased in many countries, researchers point to air pollution as a significant factor in these lung cancer cases. Nearly the entire global population lives in areas where air quality does not meet the standards set by the World Health Organization. This highlights the need for better air pollution control and targeted prevention strategies.
Dr. Freddie Bray, head of the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s surveillance branch and lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of understanding how lung cancer and its risk factors are changing. He stated that changes in smoking patterns and exposure to air pollution are key factors in the evolving risk profile of lung cancer. Dr. Bray also noted that different trends between men and women offer insights for developing effective prevention strategies.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths globally. The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 240,000 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in 2025, with about 125,000 people expected to die from the disease. While lung cancer can occur at any age, it is most commonly diagnosed in individuals aged 65 or older.
This study underscores the importance of addressing air pollution and other risk factors to reduce the incidence of lung cancer among non-smokers.