Why are most lung cancer patients in India non-smokers?

New Delhi, July 18: Air pollution, exposure to secondhand smoke, occupational hazards, and indoor pollutants like cooking fumes are responsible for the rising cases of lung cancer, even among people who do not smoke, said experts on Thursday.

A recent research, published in the Lancet's eClinical Medicine Journal, showed that the ratio of lung cancer research output in India to global research output is 0.51.

The study revealed that lung cancer develops 10 years earlier in India than in Western countries, where the age of diagnosis ranges from 54 to 70.  It could also be the result of India's younger population where the median age is 28.2 years, compared to the US’ 38 years and China’s 39 years.

Speaking to IANS, Dr. Shrinidhi Nathany from the Department of Molecular Hematology and Oncology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute said increased lung cancer incidences among non-smokers in Southeast Asia are also linked to high PM 2.5 levels.

Dr. Nathany added that lung cancer affects “a large part of Indians due to passive smoking as well as genetic /hereditary susceptibility”.

The doctor noted that Delhi, also known as the pollution capital, and urban India's three-digit PM 2.5 levels significantly contribute to tumorigenesis -- the formation of cancer.

Dr Ashish Gupta, Chief of Medical Oncology, at Unique Hospital Cancer Centre, also pointed out the alarming trend of lung cancer cases in India “to factors such as air pollution, exposure to secondhand smoke, occupational hazards, and indoor pollutants like cooking fumes”.

To mitigate this growing health issue, it is crucial to enforce stringent air quality regulations, raise public awareness about the dangers of secondhand smoke and environmental pollutants, and promote regular screenings for high-risk groups. to reduce the incidence of lung cancer among non-smokers in India, the experts said.

Dr Shrinidhi further said that regular screening of predisposed individuals living in polluted cities of the country, farmers exposed to harmful pesticides as well those having strong personal and /or family history of cancers could help in early detection, while stressing that being informed was the important thing one could be for this issue.