Study has shown nearly 50% of lung cancer patients across the country are non-smokers. Experts say pollution plays a big role in people falling prey to cancer. TOI analyses the effects of pollution on health There was a time when smoking would be associated with lung cancer and whenever we would see our loved ones light up cigarettes, we would immediately urge them to give up the harmful habit, fearing that they may be affected with the terminal disease.
Even cigarette packets carry a ‘smoking kills’ sign in a perhaps feeble attempt to dissuade people from smoking and possibly protect them from the disease. But does not consuming tobacco shield you from lung cancer? Not anymore as per studies that show 40-50% of lung cancer patients in India are non-smokers. Air we breathe The World Health Organisation (WHO) has added second-hand smoke and air pollution as risk factors for lung cancer, along with consuming tobacco.
Air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM2.5), is believed to be a risk factor for lung cancer in non-smokers. It has become a major concern in urban areas, as per a recent study published in The Lancet.
The study stated that exposure to asbestos, chromium, cadmium, arsenic and coal products at the workplace can be a potential cause of lung cancer. “Factors like genetic susceptibility, hormonal status and pre-existing lung diseases have also been implicated in the rising incidence of lung cancer in non-smokers,” read the study’s analysis conceived .