More non-smokers, youth detected with lung cancer

KOLKATA: Non-smokers and the young, who do not use tobacco in any form, are increasingly being diagnosed with lung cancer, leading to concerns among oncologists about environmental pollution and other undetected triggers that could be causing the disease.There is a growing and concerning shift in the lung cancer landscape in Bengal and the rest of India, where an increasing number of patients are non-smokers, including women and young adults, oncologists pointed out on the eve of Lung Cancer Day on Saturday.This challenges the long-held perception that lung cancer is primarily a smoker’s disease. While tobacco remains a major risk factor, it is no longer the only reason, they said.Environmental, occupational and lifestyle exposures were playing a significant role in lung cancer incidence, especially among the urban and semi-urban population, said Charnock Hospital pulmonology head Soumya Sengupta.