Doctors Highlight Rising Lung Cancer Cases Among Women Who Do Not Smoke

Medical experts report a growing number of lung cancer diagnoses among women who have never smoked, challenging the common belief that the disease only affects smokers. Dr Sunny Jain, clinical director at Marengo Asia Hospitals in Faridabad, states that a persistent cough or breathing trouble in non-smoking women should not be ignored or dismissed as a false sense of safety.

Global and Local Data

A study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine in February 2025 estimated about 2.5 million new lung cancer cases worldwide for 2022, with women accounting for nearly 908,630 of those cases. Adenocarcinoma was the main subtype among women, making up nearly 60 percent of cases, while ambient particulate matter pollution was linked to about 80,378 of those adenocarcinoma cases globally. In India, data from the Indian Council of Medical Research's National Cancer Registry Programme, published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research in 2022, showed that adenocarcinoma made up about 52.7 percent of lung cancers among women in the hospital registry data, alongside rising case numbers in several metro cities.

Causes and Symptoms

Air pollution plays a major role for urban residents, as fine particulate matter like PM 2.5 penetrates deep into the lungs due to vehicle exhaust, factory smoke, construction dust, and burning solid fuels. Indoor air pollution from biomass fuels in poorly ventilated kitchens also creates respiratory risks for women, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies outdoor air pollution and particulate matter as cancer-causing. Other non-tobacco risk factors include second-hand smoke, radon, workplace exposure to substances like asbestos and arsenic, family history, and genes. Early signs such as a long-lasting cough, sudden weight loss, coughing blood, breathing trouble, or repeated chest infections are often mistaken for seasonal allergies, asthma, or infections, which can delay proper medical checks.

Treatment and Prevention

Treatment depends on the cancer stage and tumor type, using options like surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy based on molecular testing for changes like EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements. Dr Jain notes that routine low-dose CT screening is not currently advised for every healthy woman who has never smoked, but people with ongoing symptoms must get checked without delay. Lowering risk relies on cleaner household fuels, better kitchen ventilation, safer workplaces, and less exposure to second-hand smoke.

Context

Lung cancer is traditionally linked to tobacco use, but non-smokers can develop the disease through environmental factors and genetic influences. Medical professionals stress that recognizing early warning signs and getting timely medical evaluations can significantly improve patient outcomes.