There has been an increase in the number of non-smokers being diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer inFrance, according to a story in News-Medical.net quoting a report by researchers at theFrenchCollegeof General Hospital Respiratory Physicians.
They reported also that there had been an increase in the number of women being diagnosed with the condition.
Little is known about risk factors that can cause lung cancer in non-smokers, though the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed earlier this year that exhaust fumes from diesel engines were a cause of the disease.
“We have seen from these results the change in lung cancer over the last 10 years,” said the report’s lead author, Dr Chryst-le Locher.
“Not only has there been an increase in the number of women and non-smokers contracting the disease, but there has also been an increase in the number of cases diagnosed in stage 4 of the illness.
“We recently saw that the WHO have classified diesel fumes as carcinogenic, but more research is needed to understand other factors that could contribute to lung cancer in non-smokers.
“Anti-smoking campaigns must also target women more specifically, as we can see little change in lung cancer rates caused by smoking in women.
“It is also important to note changes in the type of lung cancer. The prevalence of cases of adenocarcinoma lung cancer is growing and further research is needed to understand the characteristics of this form of the disease.”