The Rise of Lung Cancer Among Non-Smokers in India: Why We’re Hearing About It More

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Lung cancer is often thought of as a disease that affects smokers. However, an important and often overlooked reality is that around 25% of lung cancer cases occur in people who have never smoked. In India and globally, this statistic has sparked growing concern and conversation. But an important question remains: Is lung cancer among non-smokers actually increasing, or are we simply hearing more about it?

The answer is complex.

There is ongoing debate about whether lung cancer rates among non-smokers are truly rising. What is clear, however, is that people with lung cancer are living longer than they once did. Because of this, the disease is more visible, more discussed, and more understood than in previous decades.

Historically, lung cancer—especially Stage IV lung cancer—was considered an almost immediate death sentence. Survival was short, and treatment options were limited. Today, advances in cancer research have dramatically changed that landscape.

To put this into perspective, the five-year survival rate for Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma—the most common type of lung cancer in non-smokers and one that accounts for roughly 75% of lung cancers in non-smokers—has traditionally hovered around 4%. While that number remains sobering, it does not tell the full story anymore.

With the rise of targeted therapies and immunotherapies, patients are not only living longer, but in many cases, living well.

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A Personal Perspective

My father was diagnosed 5.5 years ago with Stage IV lung adenocarcinoma. He had never smoked and had no significant exposure to secondhand smoke. At the time of diagnosis, we were told he had six weeks to six months to live.

What changed his outlook was the discovery of a specific genetic mutation—the ALK gene mutation—which is present in about half of non-smokers with lung cancer. Because of this mutation, he responded well to targeted therapy.

Today, he takes Alectinib twice daily, experiences minimal side effects, and currently has no evidence of active cancer. While doctors do not use the words “cure” or “remission” for Stage IV disease, the reality is that his cancer is controlled, and his quality of life is strong.

This outcome would have been almost unimaginable a generation ago.

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Why Lung Cancer in Non-Smokers Feels More Common

So, is lung cancer among non-smokers more prevalent than before? Possibly. Factors such as air pollution, environmental exposure, genetics, and occupational hazards are all under investigation.

But one major reason we are hearing about it more is simple: people are surviving long enough to talk about it.

What was once a fast and fatal diagnosis is increasingly becoming a chronic, manageable condition for some patients. As science advances, stories of survival replace silence—and awareness grows.

Lung cancer is no longer always a quick death sentence. And for many families, that change has made all the difference.