Why is Lung Cancer increasing in Never-Smokers?

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer among cancer patients all over the world following breast and prostate. It is regarded as the leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. Smoking tobacco is considered the primary cause of lung cancer. But nowadays the rate of lung cancer in non-smokers is astonishingly increasing. Though why lung cancer is increasing in non-smokers, especially in young women, is not clear. So, to stay protected from this dreadful disease you should consult the best lung cancer doctor in Delhi like Dr. Manish Singhal for a routine check-up.

Why is lung cancer on the rise in non-smokers?

The cause of lung cancer includes many risk factors. You may not have the habit of smoking cigarettes or pipes, but still, you have the risk of getting lung cancer because of other possible risk factors, like exposure to:

• Secondhand smoke
• Pollution
• Radon
• Asbestos, arsenic, chromium, or other chemicals
• Family history

 While discussing this, the term “non-smoker” usually refers to those individuals who have smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their lives. Several studies suggest that the rates of lung cancer in non-smokers are overall increasing.

Symptoms of lung cancer in both smokers and non-smokers are similar like general symptoms of not feeling well or feeling tired all the time. Some people cough up blood or have chest pain or shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms, talk to the best lung cancer doctor in Delhi NCR like Dr. Manish Singhal, an oncologist in Delhi. He will help you in the best possible ways to find the cause.

Why do smokers have a higher risk of cancer than non-smokers?

Our bodies cannot deal with the huge amount of harm caused by chemicals in tobacco. Both the amount and the duration of your smoking can affect your cancer risk. With more number of cigarettes you smoke a day, the risk of cancer gets higher. Only one cigarette has the potential to damage cell DNA.

1. Smoking Cigarette releases over 5000 harmful chemicals into our body   
2. These chemicals enter through our lungs and spread around the entire body. 
3. They damage DNA. 
4. Because of these chemicals, cells cannot repair DNA damage. 
5. The build-up of damaged DNAs in the same cell for a time duration leads to cancer.

People who smoke sometimes have a cough and coughing can also be a sign of lung cancer. To confirm this you should consult Dr. Manish Singhal, an oncologist in Delhi who is considered as best lung cancer doctor in Delhi to have a proper diagnosis. 

 Do non-smokers get lung cancer more than smokers?

Worldwide, the numbers of women with lung cancer who are non-smokers are around fifty percent. Along with this data, the number of lung cancer in non-smokers is increasing. Smokers are fifteen to thirty times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke.

The mortality rates for lung cancer among non-smokers versus smokers have been conflicting. Some studies have indicated lower mortality rates in the non-smoking population. Some findings show that it is mainly the older population among non-smokers who are being diagnosed with lung cancer. You can go to the best lung cancer doctor in Delhi to have proper guidelines to quit smoking if you are a chain smoker.

 What percentage of never-smokers gets lung cancer?

Lung cancer is growing so exponentially day by day that it has become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Every year, more than two million people worldwide are diagnosed with this dreadful disease. Most of the patients have a history of tobacco smoking, but around ten to twenty percent of people who develop lung cancer are non-smokers or have never smoked. Lung cancer in never smokers occurs more frequently in women of young age than lung cancer in smokers.

About fifty to sixty percent of lung cancers found in people who have never smoked are adenocarcinomas. This refers to the type of cancer that begins in the cells that line the lung’s tiny air sacs and make mucus-like substances. Around ten to twenty percent are squamous cell carcinomas which forms in the thin cells of the lungs. And a few percentages of around six to eight percent are small cell lung cancers, and the rest are other types of lung cancer.

Studies suggest that you can lower your risk of lung cancer by staying away from secondhand smoking, diesel exhaust, and other types of air pollution. You should get your home tested for radon and take steps to control the radon level.

Some risk factors like a personal or family history of lung cancer cannot be changed. If lung cancer is in your family then talk to Dr. Manish Singhal, the best lung cancer doctor in Delhi NCR about actions you can take for staying healthy. As people with lung cancer who has never smoked may have a DNA mutation so you have to be very careful about your health and have a regular check-up from the best lung cancer doctor in Delhi or any reputed oncologist in Delhi.