Scientists think there is one cause behind worrying rise of lung cancer in people that have never smoked

Research has identified a concerning link between modern living and the illness

Scientists have identified a worrying reason behind the rise in lung cancer cases amongst non-smokers.

According to statistics published by the NHS, there are around 43,000 people diagnosed with the disease every year.

The condition is one of the most common in the country, with statistics from Cancer Research UK revealing it is the third most common type of cancer diagnosis in the country.

Lung cancer was traditionally linked to smoking, with six in 10 of diagnosed cases being linked to cigarettes.

However, researchers have now revealed the worrying cause which may be leading to an increase in cases amongst non-smokers – and it’s bad news for all of us who spending our days living and working in the city.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers globally (Getty Stock Images)

According to a paper published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal on Monday (3 February), air pollution appears to be a major contributor to worldwide cases of lung cancer.

The research focuses around a non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) called adenocarcinoma, which develops in the glandular tissues which line your lungs.

Cancer Research UK estimates that 80 to 85 per cent of lung cancers are NSCLC such as adenocarcinoma.

The research goes on to reveal that 200,000, or about 15 per cent of all adenocarcinoma cases in 2022, were likely to have been caused by air pollution, particularly as the percentage of smokers continues to decline globally.

These cases were said to be widely found in women and East Asian populations, such as China.

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“As smoking prevalence continues to decline in many countries worldwide, the proportion of cancer in people who have never smoked has increased,” the researchers said.

“Air pollution can be considered an important factor that partly explains the emerging predominance of adenocarcinoma that accounts for 53 to 70 per cent of cases of lung cancer among people who have never smoked worldwide.”

Dr Freddie Bray said the study showed an urgency in our need to further investigate the link between lung cancer and air pollution, especially as ‘the proportion of lung cancers diagnosed among those who have never smoked tends to increase’.

“Whether the global proportion of adenocarcinomas attributable to ambient air pollution will increase depends on the relative success of future strategies to curtail tobacco use and air pollution worldwide.” he said in an interview with The Guardian.

There is now growing concern about the impact air pollution could be having on cancer (Getty Stock Images)

The research paints a particularly bleak picture when compared to the World Health Organisation’s 2019 estimation that 99 per cent of the world’s population live in places where air quality guidelines are not met.

Not that we needed to be told that spending our days breathing in car exhaust fumes and fossil fuels would have a negative effect on our lungs anyway.

What are the main symptoms of lung cancer?

According to the NHS, the main warning signs for lung cancer include:

a cough which does not go away after three weeks
persistent breathlessness
regular chest infections
coughing up blood
unexplained weight-loss
persistent tiredness or fatigue
an ache or pain when breathing or coughing

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.