Is Lung Cancer Worse for Non-Smokers?
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There has been an increase in the number of women and non-smokers (male and female) contracting lung cancer. Let’s take a look at the facts, in 2010, non-smokers made up 11.9% of the lung cancer cases, up from 7.9% in 2000. The percentage of female lung cancer patients jumped from 16% to 24.4% over the decade. Among women with a history of smoking, lung cancer rates stayed relatively constant at 65% over the 10 years. Meanwhile, this figure decreased in men, while the rate of male lung cancer patients who had never smoked increased.
Why this change, and why is lung cancer worse for non-smokers? Past research, has shown that lung cancer is different in non-smokers than in smokers, with non-smoker lung cancer tumors showing more than twice as many DNA changes as tumors in smokers. Interestingly, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the US; it kills more men and women than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer combined
What Causes Lung Cancer?
Smoking causes the majority of lung cancers — both in smokers and in people exposed to secondhand smoke. Lung cancer also occurs in people who never smoked and in those who never had prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke. In these cases, there may be no clear cause of lung cancer. Doctors believe smoking causes lung cancer by damaging the cells that line the lungs.
Doctors divide lung cancer into two major types based on the appearance of lung cancer cells under the microscope:
- Small cell lung cancer occurs almost exclusively in heavy smokers and is less common than non-small cell lung cancer
- Non-small cell lung cancer is an umbrella term for several types of lung cancers that behave in a similar way, including squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma
Risk factors of lung cancer include:
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- Smoking remains the greatest risk factor for lung cancer; your risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke each day and the number of years you have smoked; quitting at any age can significantly lower your risk of developing lung cancer
- Exposure to secondhand smoke
- Exposure to radon gas produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water that eventually becomes part of the air you breathe
- Exposure to asbestos and other chemicals is known to cause cancer and can increase your risk of developing lung cancer, especially if you're a smoker
- Family history of lung cancer
- Excessive alcohol use
- Certain smoking-related lung diseases, like emphysema
More research is needed to understand what causes lung cancer in non-smokers, but exhaust fumes from diesel engines are thought to be a possible factor. Quitting smoking is the best way to decease your risk of lung cancer and to prevent any further damage from occurring.