Why are more non-smokers getting lung cancer? Pulmonologist Dr Harshil Alwani breaks down the hidden risk factors

Dr Harshil Alwani, consultant pulmonologist at Narayana Hospital, Jaipur, notes that lung cancer is increasingly diagnosed in non-smokers, including women and younger adults.

Lung cancers in non-smokers often have genetic changes such as EGFR gene mutations or ALK rearrangements, making them eligible for targeted therapy instead of chemotherapy.

Long-term exposure to air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5), is linked to lung cancer in non-smokers, causing chronic inflammation in the lungs.

Other risk factors for non-smokers include indoor air pollution from biomass fuel, occupational exposure to asbestos, silica, or diesel exhaust, and long-term radon gas exposure.