Lung cancer, the second-most common cancer in the U.S., is often associated with smoking — but even those who have never had a cigarette could be at risk of the deadly disease.
While it’s true that those who smoke face a much higher risk, up to 20% of lung cancers affect people who have never smoked or have smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Despite this, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) does not recommend lung cancer screening for those who have never smoked, as the agency states the risks may outweigh the potential benefits.
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Most lung cancers fall into two groups: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to the American Cancer Society.
NSCLC, which encompasses about 80% to 85% of all lung cancers, includes adenocarcinoma (common in non-smokers), squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma.
The remaining lung cancers are classified as SCLC, a more aggressive type that tends to spread faster and has a poorer prognosis.
Mohamed Abazeed, M.D., Ph.D., chair of radiation oncology and the William N.N. Brand Professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, agrees that the share of lung cancers diagnosed in never-smokers is increasing, particularly among women and patients of Asian ancestry.
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