LUNG CANCER IN NON-SMOKERS: EMERGING RISK FACTORS AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

Lung cancer has historically been linked to tobacco consumption; nevertheless, an increasing number of cases are now being diagnosed in individuals who have never smoked. This transition not only contests entrenched notions regarding at-risk populations but also reveals significant deficiencies in disease detection and prevention methods. Currently, non-smokers constitute approximately 25% of global lung cancer incidence, a trend particularly pronounced among women and younger demographics. The factors contributing to this increase are intricate. Although secondhand smoke remains a worry, emerging issues are gaining prominence. Prolonged exposure to air pollution, especially fine particulate matter in urban settings, has been significantly associated with lung cancer in non-smokers. Additional risk factors encompass radon gas in residences, occupational exposure to materials such as asbestos and arsenic, indoor air pollution from cooking fuels, and particular genetic abnormalities that predispose individuals to the disease. Notwithstanding these escalating hazards, the majority of public health systems continue to construct their screening criteria predominantly on smoking history. This indicates that numerous non-smokers receive a late diagnosis when the disease has progressed and is more challenging to treat. This paper emphasises the necessity for the evolution of early detection measures, drawing on research conducted from 2020 to 2024 and contextual experience from the Republican Specialised Scientific and Practical Medical Centre of Oncology and Radiology in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. To effectively prevent lung cancer, strategies must encompass the entire range of risk factors, rather than solely focusing on those associated with smoking.