25% lung cancer cases are of non-smokers

Bengaluru: About 10-30 per cent of all cases of lung cancer in India are found among people who have never smoked, with some Indian studies pegging this figure as high as 40 per cent. The main reason for non-smokers getting lung cancer is exposure to carcinogens due to second-hand smoke, indoor air pollutants like burning of wood or charcoal, occupational exposure, and pre-existing lung disease.

Some cases of lung cancer are also attributed to exposure to estrogens, a group of female sex hormones, which are known human carcinogens. This was said by Radheshyam Naik, Head - Medical Oncology, Hematology & Bone Marrow Transplantation at Sammprada Hospital, Bengaluru, on Lung Cancer Day.