Lung cancer, they say, is a smoker’s disease. For over sixty years and for much of the twentieth century, and indeed long before that, smoking, after all, has been what branded lung cancer as the single biggest killer of cancers in affluent nations. It is perhaps because of this long and intimate relationship with smoking that the fact that most people diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked has become so problematic. This raises the important question of why non-smokers develop lung cancer. We will discuss how it happens, some risk factors, why early detection is essential, and why expert care by a cancer doctor in India is important.
Getting to Know Lung Cancer: An Overview
Lung cancer is an abnormal growth of lung cells not regulated by the body. Lung cancer comes in three types, including non-small cell and small cell lung cancer. There are non-small cell kinds of lung cancer, which are the most commonly diagnosed, and such accounts for about 85%. Lung cancer occurs in the human body’s lungs but spreads to other parts of the body.
Even though smoking is the major cause of lung cancer, accounting for 85% of cases, it causes only 15% of lung cancer in never-smokers. This makes for a great need to explain why lung cancer arises in such persons.
Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers: A Growing Problem
Indeed, this phenomenon of lung cancer among the nonsmoking population has fascinated the medical profession and forced them to research the possible causative factors behind lung cancer among the nonsmoking population in recent years.
Genetic Factors: A Key Role in Lung Cancer Development
Genetics is one of the most significant factors that have been associated with lung cancer in non-smokers. Genetic mutations predispose people to lung cancer. Some of the most common genetic mutations that are linked to lung cancer include EGFR, KRAS, and ALK.
According to the head of an oncologist in India, there are genetic differences among the patients who have a higher lung cancer risk even when they do not smoke. Lung cells with a mutation tend to grow wildly without any control leading to cancers. Genomic tests, as well as the treatments targeting the gene, significantly enhanced the therapeutic armaments of the doctors when patients possessed such mutations.
Except for that, family history contributes to the predisposition. In such scenarios when an individual has a first-degree relative who suffers from lung cancer and that individual has never smoked, that person is likely to get affected by lung cancer.
Environmental Factors: Exposure to Secondhand Smoke and Pollutants
Another major reason for lung cancer in non-smokers is environmental pollutant exposure, mainly secondhand smoke. Many nonsmokers, especially those who live with smokers, are constantly exposed to the carcinogens that exist in tobacco smoke. Secondhand smoke is also known as a carcinogen, hence increases the probabilities of acquiring lung cancer due to extended periods of exposure.
The second one is that people inhaled air containing pollutants, which lead to lung cancer. The particulate matter, industrial emissions, etc, released into the atmosphere would find its way into the lungs and cause chronic damage to the lung tissues. The people in cities that are a lot polluted are more likely to be affected by diseases like lung cancer.
Occupational Hazards: Silent Risk
One other main reason lung cancer among the non-smokers arises due to exposure to certain chemicals during their job working hours. People go about their work activities at large places where they expose themselves to hazardous, toxic chemicals, asbestos, etc., which leads to cancer within the lungs. For example, many miners, construction people, manufacturers and even healthcare providers expose themselves more.
It has long been known to increase the risk of lung cancer; and indeed, more so to this malignancy, specifically known as mesothelioma – a rare form of cancer in that it involves the inner lining of the lungs. The individuals with the risk of lung cancer who are exposed to asbestos at workplaces where people who have never smoked also become at risk of lung cancer.
Occupational diseases should show excellent improvements early through proper diagnosis. If you have exposure at your workplace to harmful materials, it is necessary to monitor yourself through regular screenings and diagnoses of cancers early enough.
Other Contributing Factors
1. Exposure to Radon
Radon is an environmental risk factor for lung cancer. It is a colorless, odorless gas that occurs naturally in soil and rocks. Increased lung-cancer risk is caused by long exposure periods at high radon concentrations. This gas can penetrate floors, walls, or foundations of houses and often remains unnoticed by their occupants. A higher level of radon in home settings increases the lung cancer risk among nonsmokers.
2. Hormonal Influences
There is emerging evidence that hormonal factors, especially in women, are implicated in the causation of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Women have a higher risk of lung cancer than men, even if they never smoked. Some studies suggest that disturbances in hormone levels, including oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, are implicated in lung cancer.
3. Infections and Inflammation
Long-term inflammation of the lungs is often brought about by chronic lung infections like TB or COPD. Such inflammatory processes may predispose individuals to cancerous developments in the lungs through either alteration of the genetic code leading to mutations or even changing the rate of abnormal cell development. They are more common among non-smokers and this is more prevalent with increased prevalence of TB and also in developing countries.
Early Detection
Lung cancer in non-smokers is pretty problematic as the condition may not seem to present symptoms until the disease is well advanced. Early detection and regular screening are, therefore, important factors in improving the outcome of lung cancer. However, most cases of lung cancer in non-smokers happen at later stages, which lowers the effectiveness of treatment and survival rates.
If you are a nonsmoker, you should consult with the best oncologist in India or any specialist about your risk, if you have had infections in the lung or family history of lung cancer or exposure to environmental pollutants. Then, it is found that it can be detected more often at an earlier stage when screened as early as possible. This enhances chances of treatment and even cure in some cases.
Treatment of Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers
Though the lung cancer of nonsmokers may still dominate, with advancement of medical science, today the future is much brighter for those patients who have suffered with the disease if they are nonsmokers. Treatment options are essentially similar between smokers and nonsmokers. In fact, there might include:
- Surgery: This is the removal of the masses of tumors or infected portions of the lung to get rid of cancerous growth.
- Chemotherapy: These are powerful drugs applied in killing the cells of cancer or preventing cancerous cell growth.
- Radiation therapy: High-energy rays kill cancer cells by focusing on the cancer cells.
- Targeted therapy: Involves drugs that work by focusing on specific molecules on the way of cancer cell’s growth.
- Immunotherapy: The drug treatments can facilitate the immune system to recognize cancer cells and attack them.
Conclusion
Lung cancer among non-smokers will always be a challenge in the near future, but with research, much is now being understood about all the risk factors associated with this disease. Even though the factor is contributed mainly by genetics, environmental exposure, and occupational exposures, it cannot deny infections or hormonal influences. Though awareness regarding lung cancer in non-smokers is progressing, it becomes of utmost importance to detect this early and get oneself screened frequently along with consultation with an expert cancer specialist in India, such as Dr. Vikesh Shah.
If a non-smoker is concerned about lung cancer or has some other predisposing factors, they do not have to wait until there are symptoms. And sometimes advice from a cancer specialist may be the first in the chain of events aimed at preventing, detecting, or even treating lung cancer in early stages. Lung cancer in non-smokers is increasingly becoming treatable with further research and more advanced medical treatment, thus bringing relief to patients all over the world.