title: Lung Cancer in Never Smokers.
abstract: Lung cancer is predominantly associated with cigarette smoking; however, a substantial minority of patients with the disease have never smoked. In the US it is estimated there are 17,000-26,000 annual deaths from lung cancer in never smokers, which as a separate entity would be the seventh leading cause of cancer mortality. Controversy surrounds the question of whether or not the incidence of lung cancer in never-smokers is increasing, with more data to support this observation in Asia. There are several factors associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer in never smokers including second hand smoke, indoor air pollution, occupational exposures, and genetic susceptibility among others. Adenocarcinoma is the most common histology of lung cancer in never smokers and in comparison to lung cancer in smokers appears less complex with a higher likelihood to have targetable driver mutations.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Gabriel Alberto
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. hwakelee@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wakelee
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Lung cancer in nonsmokers; Non-smoker lung cancer