A new study done by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) has revealed a surprising increase in the rates of non-smokers being diagnosed with lung cancer. The numbers are especially high for women over 50.
Lung cancer is typically caused by exposure to harmful chemicals in the lungs, and one of the most common ways to contract the disease is by heavily smoking tobacco. However, increased rates among non-smokers are leading scientists to seek out new airborne carcinogens, and one potential culprit may be diesel exhaust.
There is relatively little known about lung cancer in non-smokers. According to a report by the ERS, there has been a significant increase in the number if women and non-smokers developing lung cancer. “11.9% of the lung cancer cases in the study were non-smokers, which had also increased from 7.9% from 10 years previously. 24.4% of lung cancer patients in the 2010 study were female; an increase from 16% in 2000.”
In addition, over 50% of the people diagnosed were at stage 4 of lung cancer, the most advanced stage when the cancer has spread to both lungs or other parts of the body.
The new increases in lung cancer-rates for non-smokers has prompted several clinical trials to discover the causes of non-smoking lung cancer and find treatments for patients in stage 4 of the disease. One trial that has been doing exceedingly well is ANTI-PD1, an immunotherapy treatment that prompts responses in about 23% of lung cancer and melanoma patients, and has even reduced the tumors in some by 100%. For more information about ANTI-PD1, click here.
Dr. Chrystele Locher of the study stated “We have seen from these results the change in lung cancer over the last 10 years. Not only has there been an increase in the number of women and non-smokers contracting the disease, but there has also been an increase in the number of cases diagnosed in stage 4 of the illness.”
Scientists intent to launch a global analysis of the changes in lung cancer to see if the pattern is isolated in specific communities (such as large, polluted cities) or is consistent in other parts of the world. They hope to find specific causes of lung cancer in order to protect the public from contracting lung cancer.
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