Health
Never smoked? You could still be at risk of developing lung cancer, doctors warn
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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.
Up to 20% of lung cancers affect people who have never smoked or have smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. (iStock)
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. 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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“While overall incidence is declining due to reduced smoking rates, the relative share of never-smokers is growing and is reflected in clinical practice, where we increasingly diagnose patients without a traditional smoking history,” he told Fox News Digital.
Dr. Lauren Nicola, a practicing radiologist and chief medical officer at Reveal Dx in North Carolina, said she is also seeing an increase in the rate of newly diagnosed lung cancer in non-smokers, particularly among women and younger adults.
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. (iStock)
The main factor driving up the share of non-smokers among lung cancer patients, according to Abazeed, is the successful drive to reduce tobacco consumption in the U.S.
“Other factors include improvements in imaging and broader use of CT scans that have enhanced early-stage tumor detection,” he noted.
“It is estimated that about 8% of lung cancers are inherited or occur because of a genetic predisposition.”
“Evolving environmental factors may also be contributing to this change, with pollutants potentially driving lung inflammation, which in turn has been implicated in cancer development.”
Modifiable risk factors
Some of the biggest non-smoking risk factors for lung cancer include ambient air pollution and secondhand smoke, according to Abazeed.
Exposure to thoracic radiation (high-energy radiation in the chest area) — along with occupational hazards like radon, asbestos and diesel exhaust — can also increase the risk.
The main factor driving up the share of non-smokers among lung cancer patients is the successful drive to reduce tobacco consumption in the U.S., experts say. (iStock)
Lifestyle-related inflammation, which is often linked to poor diet and sedentary behavior, can also play a role, Nicola noted.
“Some of these, like radon and air quality, can be addressed at the household or policy level,” Abazeed said.
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“Lifestyle interventions — such as exercise, diet and avoidance of indoor pollutants — may play a modest protective role.”
Both doctors pointed out that former smokers, especially those who smoked more often and for longer periods of time, remain at elevated risk even decades after quitting.
“The greater the number of pack-years, the higher the risk,” said Nicola. “Risk declines over time after quitting, but never returns to the baseline of a never-smoker.”
Genetic risk factors
Some people inherit a higher risk of developing lung cancer due to their DNA.
“It is estimated that about 8% of lung cancers are inherited or occur because of a genetic predisposition,” Abazeed told Fox News Digital.
“Inherited predisposition is an area of active investigation, particularly in younger patients or those with a strong family history.”
Having a first-degree relative with lung cancer roughly doubles the risk of developing the disease, even after controlling for smoking exposure, according to Nicola.
“Up to 50% of all chest CTs will detect at least one pulmonary nodule.”
“Cancers in non-smokers are more often associated with specific genetic mutations and genomic profiles,” she said. “This suggests that these malignancies have a different underlying biology compared to tumors in smokers.”
Screenings in question
Current U.S. screening guidelines call for annual low-dose CT scans for high-risk individuals based on age and smoking history, Abazeed reiterated.
The USPSTF recommends screening for “adults aged 50 to 80 years who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.”
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“There is a growing interest in expanding eligibility to include non-smoking risk factors,” Abazeed noted. “Evidence is accumulating that could potentially change current population-wide guidelines.”
There are some potential risks linked to expanding screening, experts say, including the potential for overdiagnosis and false positives.
Exposure to occupational hazards like radon, asbestos and diesel exhaust can increase lung cancer risk. (Photo by Gado/Getty Images)
“The problem with screening everyone for lung cancer is that up to 50% of all chest CTs will detect at least one pulmonary nodule,” Nicola noted. “The vast majority of these nodules are benign, but a small percentage will turn out to be cancer.”
Based primarily on the size of the nodule, the clinician may recommend follow-up imaging or biopsy.
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“New tools are being developed that can help us better characterize the malignancy risk of a nodule, which will decrease the potential for harm associated with overdiagnosis in screening,” Nicola said.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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Yoga is known to boost relaxation, strength and flexibility – and now a new study has found the practice could improve cancer survivors’ quality of life.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances after cancer treatment.
The findings were presented last week at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
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The study was conducted across multiple U.S. community cancer care sites, including 410 adult cancer survivors averaging 54 years of age. Around 75% were breast cancer survivors, and none of them had practiced yoga regularly within the prior three months.
A randomized trial led by the University of Rochester Medical Center found that a four-week yoga program significantly reduced insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and mood disturbances in cancer survivors. (iStock)
The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. Half of them received only standard survivorship care without the yoga, while the other half received standard care and were also enrolled in the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training.
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Based on questionnaires completed by the patients, the survivors in the yoga group experienced “moderate-to-large” reductions in overall mood disturbance, “small-to-medium” reductions in anxiety and “medium-to-large” reductions in fatigue, the study found.
The improvements in mood and fatigue appeared to be linked to yoga’s beneficial effect on sleep quality, according to the researchers.
As part of the YOCAS program, the survivors completed two instructor-led 75-minute yoga sessions each week, including 18 Gentle Hatha yoga and Restorative yoga poses, breathing exercises and mindfulness training. (iStock)
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug,” lead investigator Yuri Choi, PhD, of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, in Rochester, New York, told Fox News Digital.
The study did not reveal any major safety concerns or serious adverse events related to the yoga practice.
“This indicates that cancer survivors have an option to alleviate these cancer-related side effects at the same time, without adding another drug.”
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that the findings are preliminary and have not yet been peer-reviewed for a medical publication.
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“The sample in our clinical trial was relatively homogeneous, with most participants being women (96%), breast cancer patients (75%), Caucasian (93%), and having some college or higher education (82%),” noted Choi.
“We are adapting our intervention to reach all cancer patients and survivors, including the creation of a mobile app to reach people in rural communities.”
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The research also excluded patients with metastatic cancer (whose disease had spread to other parts of the body).
The total study was only four weeks, so more research is needed to determine long-term benefits.
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted. (iStock)
If the findings are confirmed by peer-reviewed publications, this could lead to recommendations for structured yoga programs as a non-drug supportive therapy for cancer survivors, the researchers noted.
Some yoga studios may use different names for Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga, such as Foundations Yoga or Healing Yoga, Choi noted.
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“Survivors should also look for certified yoga instructors who have experience working with cancer patients/survivors or individuals with other challenging health conditions,” the researcher advised. “They should not be afraid to ask their oncology team for referrals to qualified instructors in their community.”
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Choi also noted that the research did not reveal whether other types of yoga, such as heated-room or rigorous-flow yoga, are safe or beneficial for cancer survivors.
The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute.
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