Rising lung cancer cases among non-smokers globally pose a significant concern, with air pollution emerging as an important contributing factor.
The proportion of people being diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked is increasing, with air pollution an ‘important factor,’ the World Health Organization’s cancer agency has said.
Air Pollution: A Growing Concern
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), lung cancer in people who have never smoked cigarettes or tobacco is now estimated to be the fifth highest cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Lung cancer in never-smokers is also occurring almost exclusively as adenocarcinoma, which has become the most dominant subtype of the disease globally.
The Impact of Air Pollution
About 200,000 cases of adenocarcinoma were associated with exposure to air pollution in 2022, according to the IARC study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal. The largest burden of adenocarcinoma attributable to air pollution was found in East Asia, particularly China.
A Need for Urgent Monitoring and Research
The study’s lead author, Dr. Freddie Bray, emphasized the need for urgent monitoring of the changing risk of lung cancer. Further studies are required to identify possible causal factors, such as air pollution, in populations where smoking is not considered the main cause of lung cancer.
Global Trends in Lung Cancer Incidence
Lung cancer is a type of cancer that originates in the lungs.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for approximately 1.8 million deaths annually.
The main risk factor for lung cancer is smoking tobacco, responsible for about 70-80% of all cases.
Other risk factors include exposure to secondhand smoke, radon gas, and certain chemicals like asbestos.
Symptoms may include persistent coughing, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide. In 2022, about 2.5 million people were diagnosed with the disease. The patterns of incidence by subtype have changed dramatically in recent decades, with adenocarcinoma becoming the dominant subtype among both men and women.
The Role of Air Pollution in Lung Cancer
Changes in cigarette manufacturing and smoking patterns in recent decades have influenced the trends in lung cancer incidence by subtype. There is accumulating evidence of a causal link between air pollution and an increased risk of adenocarcinoma, the IARC said. Air pollution can be considered an important factor that partly explains the emerging predominance of adenocarcinoma among never-smokers worldwide.
Air pollution is a significant environmental concern, affecting millions of people worldwide.
It is responsible for approximately 7 million premature deaths annually, with the majority occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
The main causes of air pollution include industrial activities, vehicle emissions, and domestic heating.
Short-term exposure to poor air quality can cause respiratory problems, while long-term exposure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and cognitive impairment.
A Call to Action
Cancer experts say that women should now be as alert to potential lung cancer signs as they are about checking for lumps in their breasts, given that smoking rates peaked much earlier in men than women. Changes in smoking patterns and exposure to air pollution are among the main determinants of the changing risk profile of lung cancer incidence by subtype.
Conclusion
The study provides important insights into how both lung cancer and the underlying risk factors are evolving, offering clues as to how we can optimally prevent lung cancer worldwide. The diverging trends by sex in recent generations offer insights to cancer prevention specialists and policymakers seeking to develop and implement tobacco and air pollution control strategies tailored to high-risk populations.
Regular exercise, a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and maintaining a healthy weight can significantly reduce cancer risk.
Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are major preventable causes of various cancers.
Exposure to UV radiation from the sun or tanning beds increases skin cancer risk.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 30-50% of all cancers are linked to lifestyle factors, emphasizing the importance of making informed choices for cancer prevention.
- theguardian.com | Lung cancer diagnoses on the rise among never smokers worldwide
