Lung cancer among non-smokers up, says Lancet

AIR pollution significantly contributes to increasing lung cancer cases among non-smokers, especially women and those living in Southeast Asia, says a study published in the Lancet.

- Kavita Bajeli-Datt @ New Delhi

AIR pollution significantly contributes to increasing lung cancer cases among non-smokers, especially women and those living in Southeast Asia, says a study published in the Lancet. Published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal on World Cancer Day on Tuesday, the study said that lung cancer in people who have never smoked tobacco is now estimated to be the fifth highest cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

"As smoking prevalence continues to decline in many countries worldwide, the proportion of lung cancer in people who have never smoked has increased," said the researchers, which included from International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and World Health Organisation (WHO).