Scientists solve one of the most common causes of lung cancer, and it has nothing to do with tobacco

Why are more and more non-smokers developing lung cancer? An international study published Wednesday in Nature believes the answer lies in air pollution. According to the report, non-smokers show “mutational signatures” and DNA damage similar to those found in smokers.

The link between pollution and lung cancer

The study presents compelling evidence of a strong link between air pollution and the risk of developing lung cancer. As reported by El País, 99% of the global population breathes dangerously high levels of fine particles measuring 2.5 microns in diameter, mostly produced by the burning of fossil fuels. These particles can travel deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.

In the European Union alone, over 200,000 animal deaths are attributed to this type of pollution, and some studies suggest that breathing polluted air for three years significantly increases the risk of lung cancer.

“We’re now one step closer to proving that pollution causes lung cancer, because for the first time we’ve gone beyond epidemiological data to observe how pollutants affect the genome,” said Marcos Díaz-Gay, a bioinformatician at Spain’s National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) and lead author of the study.

In short, the report shows that the higher the exposure to pollution, the greater the load of mutations – especially those that drive tumor formation. The study was led by the US National Cancer Center and involved researchers from Canada, China, Turkey and the UK.

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