Climate change impacts lung cancer prevalence

Vector of human lungs inhaling toxic pollutants, industrial toxins, cigarette smoke and car emission

Research presented at the 2024 World Congress on Lung Cancer in San Diego suggests climate change could be a leading driver of the increased incidence of lung cancer in never-smokers (LCINS). The plenary session addressed findings from the study, “Lung Cancer in Patients Who Have Never Smoked — An Emerging Disease,” published in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology

Although the majority of lung cancer cases are smoking-related, LCINS is estimated to be the fifth most common cause of global cancer-related deaths. Climate-driven disasters, particularly escalating wildfires and hurricanes, expose people to environmental pollutants that likely contribute to a rise in cases of LCINS.

Women account for nearly two-thirds of LCINS cases, making female never-smokers twice as likely to develop lung cancer than men. Individuals of Asian descent are also at increased risk of being diagnosed with LCINS. 

The research team examined suspected sources of the devastating disease, such as secondhand smoke, vaping, use of cannabis, airborne carcinogen exposure and climate change, as well as known causes, such as genetics. These causes are often interconnected, the researchers said, which emphasizes the need for additional studies on the impact of environmental hazards on health.

“Our understanding of environmental carcinogens continues to evolve, and future directions for research should include the mechanisms driving carcinogenesis mediated by non-tobacco-related exposures, such as environmental pollution, and their interaction with underlying germline variation,” said the authors in their paper’s conclusion. 

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