Study uncovers how air pollution can trigger lung cancer in individuals with no history of smoking TheCrick LungCancer Lung Cancer AirPollution
By Dr. Chinta SidharthanSep 13 2022Reviewed by Aimee Molineux Recent research by a team of scientists at The Francis Crick Institute, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2022 in Paris, reveals a link between air pollution and lung cancer in non-smokers. The research was funded by Cancer Research UK and is part of the TRACERx Lung Study, which aims to understand the onset and progression of lung cancer.
About the study In the present study, a team of scientists led by Professor Charles Swanton of the Francis Crick Institute explored epidemiological data from the United Kingdom and Asian countries to find correlations between levels of particulate matter in the air and lung cancer risk in individuals who have never smoked.
The researchers also used epidemiological data to compare EGFR mutation rates in areas with different PM2.5 levels in the air. Mutations in the EGFR gene are predominant in lung cancer in non-smokers. Biopsies of normal lung tissue also revealed that EGFR and KRAS mutations exist in over 50% of normal lung samples. The authors believe that EGRF, KRAS, and other cancer-driving mutations are ubiquitous in lung tissue and accumulate with age. Additionally, comparisons using epidemiological data indicated a greater incidence of EGFR mutant lung cancer and other types of cancer among people who lived in areas with high levels of PM2.5 in the air.