About 20% of people who die from lung cancer are non-smokers. This consist of people in their early 20s who never lit a cigarette. Because of the prevalence of the disease among non-smoking young adults, studies are done to identify the abnormalities in the genes of these people. Among these studies is the Genomics of Young Lung Cancer Study, a research started to gain better perspective on inherited lung cancer risk.
About Lung Cancer
Lung cancer refers to the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in one or both lungs. The growth usually starts in the cells lining the air passages. As they multiply, which often happens rapidly, they form into tumors. Eventually, these tumors hamper the lung's capacity to provide oxygen to the blood.
The unpleasant thing about lung cancer is that symptoms usually don't appear not until the cancer has spread. Hence, lung cancer still remains as the leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
Some of the most common manifestations of lung cancer include cough that doesn't go away and oftentimes worsen, chest pain which usually happens when laughing, coughing, or deep breathing, weight loss, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, fatigue, recurring lung infection, and hoarseness of voice.
Risk Factors for Lung Cancer
The exact cause of lung cancer is still unknown. However, several studies have revealed that there are factors that can increase the person's risk of developing this specific type of cancer. These factors include cigarette smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke, family history of lung cancer, and exposure to radiation.
Contrary to what other people believed, lung cancer doesn't just happen to smokers or those who are constantly exposed to secondhand smoke. Even young, non-smokers can have lung cancer for some unknown reason.
Several studies have been done to determine the exact cause of this phenomenon. What researchers have found out that exposure to radon, carcinogens like asbestos and diesel exhaust, and air pollution can trigger the development of lung cancer among non-smokers.
Researchers have also found out that there is a specific kind of gene mutation that happens to non-smokers that lead to the development of lung cancer.
Reducing the Risk
Aside from not smoking, non-smokers can also reduce their risk of developing lung cancer by testing their home for radon, avoiding cancer-causing agents, making healthier lifestyle choices, and getting regular checkups especially now that anyone can get cancer.
As progress is seen on lung cancer studies, it will be in no time that new technology and drugs will be available for early lung cancer diagnosis and treatment especially among the young ones.
