Young, healthy and nonsmoking: The mystery behind rising lung cancer cases

Lung cancer is still widely associated with older, heavy smokers. Yet researchers are increasingly confronting a troubling trend: more young people who have never smoked, particularly women, are being diagnosed with the disease. The rise comes despite falling smoking rates, and its causes remain unclear. A new U.S. study has suggested a surprising possible explanation. Young lung cancer patients who had never smoked reported healthier-than-average diets, with greater consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Researchers stress that the foods themselves are not considered harmful, but are examining whether pesticide residues on conventionally grown produce may contribute to the lung cancer risk. The research, reported by ScienceDaily, was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. The researchers said pesticide exposure could potentially explain at least some of their findings, but stressed that the possible connection requires further investigation.