air pollution has become the second most common risk factor

Lung cancer claims millions of lives worldwide each year. According to the World Health Organization, 20 million new cases were detected and 9.7 million people died from it in 2022. Researchers from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, located in Miami, Florida, conducted research on risk factors and their evolution. Their results appeared in eClinicalMedicine.

A decline in lung cancer-related deaths worldwide

“Although deaths from lung cancer and related cancers declined in the world’s 10 most populous countries between 1990 and 2019, these positive statistics do not take into account mortality trends linked to smoking, air pollution and to asbestos exposure”they warn. Over these three decades, they observed an 8% drop in deaths linked to these cancers. Tobacco remains the leading cause of death from lung cancer.

Tobacco: the leading cause of death from lung cancer

The study shows that the percentage of lung cancer deaths linked to tobacco consumption fell from 72% in 1990 to 66% in 2019, “although some countries, such as China and Indonesia, are still experiencing increases in tobacco-related cancer mortality.”add the authors. They also noted that women are increasingly concerned: the mortality rate of women from tobacco-related lung cancer has increased by 2%. “These trends indicate the need for continued public health measures to reduce tobacco consumption, believes Chinmay T. Jani, co-author of this research. Even as we make progress in reducing tobacco-related lung cancer deaths, the burden remains significant.”

Air pollution, an increasingly important risk factor

At the same time, American scientists have noted an increase in the share of air pollution in all lung cancer deaths. “Air pollution has now become the second most common risk factor, accounting for nearly 20% of lung, tracheal and bronchial cancer mortality rates globally and more than 25% in China. , in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria“, they conclude. Deaths linked specifically to fine particles increased by 11% over the period. “The association between lung cancer mortality and air pollution is still controversial, but growing evidence shows that there is a link worth paying attention tospecifies Estelamari Rodriguez, co-author of the research. This paper provides further evidence that this is not a problem limited to one country; it is a global phenomenon.“Some of the research was also focused on asbestos.”Despite significant progress in banning asbestos, asbestos-related lung cancer deaths in the United States remain nearly double the global average“, they note.

Lung cancer: better understanding the risk factors for better care

For the authors, one of the main takeaways from the study is the need for further research to better understand the mechanisms behind lung cancer and the risk factors. “Understanding all of these factors and how they impact molecular alterations in lung cancer is important because we can then have targeted, precision medicine for lung cancer patients based on the risk factors they have. presented”they warn.