Air pollution has played a significant role in the development of various lung diseases.
The number of estimated attributable lung cancer deaths has increased nearly by 30 per cent since 2007.
Kate Micucci, who is popular for her role in The Big Bang Theory, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The 43-year-old actress has shared the news of her diagnosis in a TikTok video which has now gone viral. In the video, the actress said that she underwent the surgery on Friday and is feeling weird because she never smoked a cigarette in her life. However, this has not happened only with the actress Kate Micucci but a large chunk of the non-smoker population is suffering from lung cancer.
According to a report by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer Early Detection and Screening Committee, the number of estimated attributable lung cancer deaths has increased nearly by 30 per cent since 2007. In this time, the smoking has decreased while air pollution has increased. The report was published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology in October 2023.
Now in light of this situation, Dr Tejas Suri, who worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, AIIMS Delhi, said there are three major reasons behind this anomaly.
Genetic Link
One of the reasons is the genetic exposure to disease. Dr. Suri says that if someone has lung cancer in the family, then there are chances of it occurring in the first generation. By citing an example of this possibility, she said if a 30-year-old man has lung cancer and becomes a father during this disease, then there are high chance that the cancer genes reach his children. It can also result in the spreading of disease.
Air Pollution:
There have been various studies that have stated that there is a deep connection between lung cancer and air pollution. In the present time, smoking is not the sole reason for the development of lung cancer among people. Air pollution has played a significant role in the development of various lung diseases. Many studies have also found that living in the very poor category of air in Delhi-NCR is equivalent to living in the smoke of 20–25 cigarettes. In such situations, there has been an increase in deaths due to air pollution. Some of the major causes of air pollution include harmful emissions from vehicles, smoke from factories, smoke from house chimneys, the burning of waste, and more.
Passive Smoking:
It is well known that smoking is one of the major contributors to lung cancer among people. But nowadays, many non-smokers are also affected by lung cancer. This is mainly because of passive smoking. When a person is hanging out with someone who smokes a lot of cigarettes, there is a possibility that they might also develop lung diseases. The smoke that a smoker gives out can be easily consumed by a non-smoker.