Lung Cancer Risk High in Never-Smokers With Positive Family History: Lancet

Written By : Jacinthlyn Sylvia |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2024-01-04T07:00:50+05:30 | Updated On 4 Jan 2024 2:13 PM IST

The Taiwan Lung Cancer Screening in Never-Smoker Trial (TALENT) has revealed compelling insights into the prevalence and risk factors of lung cancer among non-smokers. The findings were published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine.

The study was conducted across 17 medical centers in Taiwan and primarily focused on individuals aged 55 to 75 years who never smoked or had minimal smoking history along with additional risk factors for lung cancer. Lung cancers in Taiwan are disproportionately affecting never-smokers with nearly 60% diagnosed at a very advanced stage.

The study spanned over 8 years and included 12,011 participants, of which 6009 had a family history of lung cancer. LDCT scans at baseline identified 17.4% as positive, leading to the diagnosis of lung cancer in 2.6% of participants. Also, 77.4% of diagnosed cases were at stage I which highlighted the potential impact of early detection.

Participants with a family history of lung cancer demonstrated a higher prevalence of invasive lung cancer with increasing age. Factors such as female sex and age over 60 correlated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Importantly, passive smoke exposure and cooking-related variables showed no significant associations with lung cancer. The LDCT screening exhibited a high sensitivity of 92.1% and specificity of 84.6% that emphasize its effectiveness in early detection.

This study also acknowledges the potential for overdiagnosis, specially in cases of adenocarcinoma in situ. Further investigations into risk factors for lung cancer in non-smokers, especially those without a family history will be important to refine the screening protocols and improving outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Reference:

Chang, G.-C., Chiu, C.-H., Yu, C.-J., Chang, Y.-C., Chang, Y.-H., Hsu, K.-H., Wu, Y.-C., Chen, C.-Y., Hsu, H.-H., Wu, M.-T., Yang, C.-T., Chong, I.-W., Lin, Y.-C., Hsia, T.-C., Lin, M.-C., Su, W.-C., Lin, C.-B., Lee, K.-Y., Wei, Y.-F., … Yang, S.-C. (2023). Low-dose CT screening among never-smokers with or without a family history of lung cancer in Taiwan: a prospective cohort study. In The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-2600(23)00338-7

The Lancet Respiratory MedicineLung Cancer Risknon-smokers

Source : The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

Jacinthlyn Sylvia

Neuroscience Masters graduate

Jacinthlyn Sylvia, a Neuroscience Master's graduate from Chennai has worked extensively in deciphering the neurobiology of cognition and motor control in aging. She also has spread-out exposure to Neurosurgery from her Bachelor’s. She is currently involved in active Neuro-Oncology research. She is an upcoming neuroscientist with a fiery passion for writing. Her news cover at Medical Dialogues feature recent discoveries and updates from the healthcare and biomedical research fields. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in

Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751