Why do I still get lung cancer even though I don't smoke or drink? Pay attention, this type of lung cancer has already targeted women

Spot check! Name a group of people at high risk for lung cancer.

Do you immediately think of the image of a man who smokes a lot?

Yes, whether in terms of the number of cases or deaths, lung cancer has long been the number one killer among cancers in China, and it is also the malignant tumor that has consistently been the leading cancer among men.

"It's because they smoke and drink all day long." said one of the sisters.

Yes, smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, but sisters, you should know that more and more women who do not smoke or drink are suffering from lung cancer!

Moreover, the "Analysis on the Prevalence of Malignant Tumors in China in 2022" released by the National Cancer Center in March shows that "lung cancer" has become the malignant tumor with the highest incidence rate among women, with a higher probability of being infected than breast cancer!

Can non-smokers and non-drinkers also get lung cancer? Yes, non-smoking women have become a high-risk group for lung adenocarcinoma!

What is lung adenocarcinoma?

Clinically, lung cancer can be roughly divided into two categories: small cell carcinoma and non-small cell carcinoma. Among them, non-small cell carcinoma accounts for 80%~85%, including several types such as squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, adenocarcinoma of the lung and large cell carcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma mainly originates from the bronchial mucosal epithelium and bronchial mucous glands, and most of them are located in the peripheral parts of the lungs. It has clear boundaries, and the tumor is usually regular in shape, without capsule, lacks boundaries with lung tissue, has medium texture, and appears grayish white on the cross section. It is worth noting that the majority of patients with lung adenocarcinoma are women, and most patients do not have the habit of smoking.

Because lung adenocarcinoma originates from the bronchial mucosal epithelium or mucous glands and is located at the end of the bronchi, it is not easy to block the airway during its growth and grows relatively slowly. This makes early lung adenocarcinoma have less impact on the overall lung function and less obvious symptoms, presenting a state of inert growth. However, this "silent" growth method may become a hidden danger for patients to delay diagnosis.

As the disease progresses, in the late stage, patients with lung adenocarcinoma may experience more obvious symptoms, such as chronic cough, coughing up blood, etc. But before that, early symptoms such as fatigue, mild shortness of breath or upper back pain and chest pain are easily ignored by patients or misdiagnosed as other diseases by doctors. Especially for women who have never smoked, they often do not regard lung cancer as a potential health threat, which is more likely to lead to delayed diagnosis.

Why do non-smokers get lung cancer?

It is true that smoking, whether active or passive, is still the main cause of lung cancer. Active smoking refers to continuous or cumulative smoking for more than 6 months, while passive smoking refers to non-smokers inhaling smoke for more than 15 minutes on an average of more than one day a week, also known as "indirect smoking" and "second-hand smoke".

The main reason why smoking causes lung cancer is that among the more than 4,000 chemical substances contained in smoke, there are at least 60 known carcinogens and cancer promoters. Among them, the most harmful are nicotine (nicotine), tar and carbon monoxide, which are important risk factors for cancer.

So why do non-smoking women get targeted by lung adenocarcinoma? This is because, in addition to smoking, there are many other occasions in our lives where we are exposed to carcinogens!

Occasion 1: Kitchen fumes.

The threat of kitchen fume pollution to women's health cannot be underestimated. The latest evidence-based medical data in 2016 showed that fume increases the risk of lung cancer in Chinese non-smoking women, and the risk of cancer is significantly increased for those who cook in poorly ventilated kitchens for a long time.

Our delicacies usually need to be cooked with hot oil. However, when the temperature reaches 250°C, the oil decomposes and produces oil smoke. The diameter of these oil smoke particles is only 0.01-0.3um, which is also one of the sources of PM2.5. When women cook, the cooking fumes can be inhaled with breathing and deposited in the alveoli.

Image: pixabay

In addition, harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides released by coal, gas, liquefied gas, and natural gas in the kitchen are also carcinogens. Kitchen fumes also contain a carcinogen called benzopyrene, which can cause damage to human cell chromosomes and induce lung cancer if inhaled for a long time.

Therefore, we should make good use of the range hood. Open the window for ventilation when cooking, and turn on the range hood at the same time. It is recommended not to turn it off immediately after cooking, but to turn it on for 10 minutes before turning it off, which can shorten the time when the oil smoke remains and reduce the damage to the lungs. Also pay attention to the timely cleaning of the filter, blades, and oil fume trough of the range hood.

Occasion 2: New house building materials.

You may have heard that newly renovated houses often hide potential threats to our health. The culprit behind this is actually the large amount of harmful gases that permeate the house after renovation, such as radon, benzene and formaldehyde, which are risk factors for the high incidence of lung cancer. It is particularly worth mentioning that radon gas has been scientifically confirmed to be a high-risk factor for lung cancer second only to smoking.

Outdoors, radon gas becomes harmless due to dilution in the air; however, once it is trapped indoors, its danger cannot be ignored. Radon gas is fat-soluble, making it easily absorbed by the lungs. When radon gas deposited in the respiratory tract emits alpha particles with strong ionization ability during the decay process, it will cause ionizing radiation to the lung tissue, thereby causing tissue cell distortion, which may eventually lead to lung cancer.

Marble furniture, granite steps and other natural stones that are common in our daily lives are potential sources of radon gas. In order to protect the health of you and your family, we recommend minimizing the use of such furniture. If you really like the texture and beauty of such furniture, please make sure to allow it to fully odorize and ventilate after purchase. More importantly, after the new house is renovated, it is best to open the windows for ventilation for more than half a year to ensure the safety and health of the indoor air.

In addition to the above-mentioned life occasions, people who are exposed to harmful gases for a long time due to occupational reasons, and women with a family history of lung cancer may also be targeted by lung cancer even if they do not smoke or drink!

How to conduct early screening? What to do if nodules are detected?

Even if lung cancer is diagnosed, after standardized treatment, the five-year survival rate of early-stage lung cancer patients can reach 95% or even higher. However, if the disease is delayed to the late stage, the five-year survival rate will drop sharply to less than 30%. Therefore, early screening for lung cancer is extremely important!

Currently, the most reliable and preferred method for early screening of lung cancer is low-dose chest CT scan. The sensitivity of this technology is 4-10 times that of conventional chest X-rays, and it can accurately detect tiny nodules of only 0.1 to 0.5 cm, and clearly show the fine structure and edge characteristics of small nodules in the lungs.

Even if you find a small lung nodule during screening, please do not panic. Nodules are not equivalent to cancer, and lung nodules do not mean early lung cancer. In fact, benign nodules are far more likely to be malignant than malignant. In this case, it is important to consult a professional doctor and decide the follow-up interval based on the size and nature of the lung nodules, which will help clarify the nature of the disease and whether surgical treatment is needed.

Kindly remind you that smoking is still the main cause of lung cancer. Both men and women should actively quit smoking and avoid the harm of "second-hand smoke". In addition, people in specific occupations should strengthen personal protection. For the above-mentioned high-risk groups, regular physical examinations, chest spiral CT examinations, and regular follow-up are indispensable.

The prognosis of lung cancer depends largely on whether it can be detected, diagnosed and treated early. Lung cancer can be effectively controlled by actively participating in physical examinations, receiving standardized treatment and developing good living habits. Let us work together to protect our health!

Source: Chongqing University Cancer Hospital

Review expert: Xu Wei, deputy chief physician of the Thoracic Tumor Center, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Chongqing University

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