{"id":12709,"date":"2026-01-22T20:51:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T20:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=12709"},"modified":"2026-01-22T21:05:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T21:05:23","slug":"what-causes-lung-cancer-in-nonsmokers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/what-causes-lung-cancer-in-nonsmokers\/","title":{"rendered":"What May Cause Lung Cancer in Nonsmokers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.\u00a0Tobacco\u00a0smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. However,\u00a0people who smoke tobacco\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0the only ones at risk of developing lung cancer.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 10% to 20% of lung cancer cases each year happen in people who never smoke.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nonsmokers can develop lung cancer if they are exposed to secondhand smoke, air pollution, radioactive gases such as radon, asbestos, diesel exhaust, or other harmful chemicals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the CDC, about 50% to 60% of lung cancers found in nonsmokers are adenocarcinomas, which is a type of non-small cell lung cancer that begins in the cells that\u00a0line\u00a0the tiny air sacs\u00a0in the lungs\u00a0and make substances such as mucus. Additionally, about 10% to 20% are squamous cell carcinomas,\u00a0cancer that forms in the thin, flat cells lining the inside of the lungs, and\u00a06% to 8% are small cell lung cancers, and the rest are other types of lung cancer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lung cancers in nonsmokers are often different than those that are in smokers, as they usually develop in younger people, and often have certain gene changes that differ from those in tumors found in smokers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A person\u2019s genes can influence their risk of developing certain diseases, including some types of cancer, as some genes help control when cells grow, divide into new cells, and die. These genes are oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Oncogenes help cells grow, divide, or stay alive. Tumor suppressor genes help control cell division or cause cells to die at the right time.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cancer can develop when\u00a0any\u00a0DNA changes\u00a0that\u00a0activate\u00a0oncogenes or\u00a0deactivate\u00a0tumor suppressor genes\u00a0occur. These changes in many different genes are usually needed to cause cancer to develop. The two primary\u00a0types of gene changes are inherited gene changes and\u00a0acquired\u00a0gene changes.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Inherited\u00a0gene changes are gene changes passed down from\u00a0a person\u2019s\u00a0parents.\u00a0These inherited changes to\u00a0a person\u2019s\u00a0DNA\u00a0may increase\u00a0their\u00a0risk of developing certain cancers.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Acquired\u00a0gene changes cannot be\u00a0inherited but are\u00a0acquired\u00a0during a person\u2019s lifetime and\u00a0may occur in any individual cell.\u00a0Certain acquired\u00a0gene changes\u00a0can affect the cell\u2019s ability to control how it grows and will\u00a0ultimately mutate\u00a0a non-cancer cell into a cancer cell.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is more common for nonsmoking women, especially Asian nonsmoking women, to develop lung cancer, as they are more than twice as likely to develop it as male nonsmokers. This is due to women having an acquired gene change, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms of lung cancer are the same for smokers and nonsmokers. Lung cancer symptoms include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n