One-in-five lung cancers in females and almost 1-in-10 in men occur in people who have never smoked, a new study has concluded. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Northern California Cancer Center examined US and Swedish data and concluded that never-smokers get lung cancer more often than thought. They note: “Lung cancer in never smokers is an important public health issue, and further exploration of its incidence patterns, etiology, and biology is needed.” Workplace exposures would be a co-factor in the lung cancers experienced by the smoking group too – smoking does not make you immune to occupational lung carcinogens. The evidence suggests it does in fact greatly increase the likelihood of getting a work-related cancer.

Stanford School of Medicine news release. Lung cancer incidence in never smokers, Journal of Clinical Oncology, volume 25, number 5, pages 469-471, 2007.