Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in the world and the risk is usually higher in smokers.
But in recent years, lung cancer has mostly been diagnosed in people who have abstained from smoking throughout their lives.
But why is this happening? The answer was given in a study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.
Research has shown that lung cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide among people who have abstained from smoking throughout their lives.
According to research, air pollution is the cause of increase in lung cancer rate among people who stay away from smoking.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in 2022, 200,000 people who abstain from smoking due to air pollution will have lung cancer. A type of cancer was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma.
Research has shown that air pollution is contributing to the spread of this type of lung cancer, especially in East Asia The region is being affected more.
The findings make it clear that we should closely monitor changes in the risk of developing lung cancer, the researchers said.
He said that more research is needed in this regard to prove the role of possible factors such as air pollution.
He further said that the rate of smoking is decreasing worldwide, but the cases of lung cancer are increasing, especially among people who stay away from this addiction for life.
He said that if a type of lung cancer is becoming common due to air pollution, there is a need to formulate strategies for protection in this regard.
A total of 2.5 million people were diagnosed with lung cancer worldwide during 2022 and it is the most common type of cancer.
But recent decades have seen dramatic changes in the subtypes of this cancer.
There are a total of 4 types of this cancer, of which Adenocarcinoma is the most common and accounts for 59.7% of the total cases.
Apart from this, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma are other types.
Adenocarcinoma accounts for 70% of lung cancer cases in non-smokers.
Earlier in January 2025, a University of California study linked tiny plastic particles to lung and colon cancer.
In the research of the University of California, the results of 3 thousand research reports in the past were analyzed in detail.
According to research, tiny particles of plastic in the air increase the risk of medical problems like infertility, colon cancer, poor lung function and edema.
The study found that these tiny particles penetrate deep into lung tissue and create an environment that causes DNA damage and changes in cells.
Both these elements play an important role in causing cancer.
When these particles are inhaled, they disappear deep into lung tissue, where they cause chronic edema and oxidative stress, the researchers said.
He further informed that as a result the risk of lung cancer increases.
