HealthThe Spokesman-ReviewBeyond cigarettes: Uncovering the causes of lung cancer in nonsmokers
Lung cancer in people who have never smoked is a growing health issue worldwide, and women who have never smoked are more than twice as likely to get it as non-smoking men.
Bryant Lin’s persistent, hacking cough had lasted for six weeks, with no sign of improvement. As a clinical professor and primary care physician at Stanford University, he tried the usual treatments for allergies, asthma and reflux before finally going to his doctor for an X-ray.
Stanford physician Bryant Lin was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer at 49 despite never having smoked, highlighting a growing trend of lung cancer in non-smokers.
Never-smoker lung cancer is now the eighth leading cause of cancer-related death in the US, and a 2024 study found a rare mutation that puts some never-smokers at 60 times higher risk.
Researchers say two-thirds of nonsmoking-related lung cancer occurs in women, making awareness of symptoms important for women who have never touched a cigarette.
A persistent cough lasting more than a few weeks is worth getting checked by your GP, even if you have never smoked, as experts say never-smoker lung cancer is increasingly common.
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