Air pollution: another cause of lung cancer in non-smokers

People who have never smoked, but who live in areas with higher air pollution levels, are roughly 20 percent more likely to die from lung cancer than people who live with cleaner air, researchers conclude in a new study.

Though smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer, about one in 10 people who develop lung cancer have never smoked.

Now study shows that Living in a high pollution area may increase a non-smoker’s risk of dying from lung cancer by 20 percent. The increased risk for lung cancer associated with pollution is small in comparison to the 20-fold increased risk from smoking.

Lung cancer is the deadliest type of cancer for both men and women. Each year, more people die of lung cancer than of breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer is more common in older adults. It is rare in people under age 45. Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer.