Never-smoking nonsmall cell lung cancer as a separate entity

A recent increase of primary lung cancer in never-smokers is prominent in contrast with the decrease of the smoking habit in the advanced countries.  Lung cancer in never-smokers is thus considered an etiologically separate entity from smoking-associated lung cancer. In the present study, the never-smoking non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cohort was characterized by an increased incidence in females, and a higher occurrence of adenocarcinoma, in addition to a better postoperative prognosis in comparison with the smoking NSCLC group.  It was suggested that NSCLC in never-smokers should therefore be considered a separate disease entity.  In consideration of future increase of ‘never-smoking NSCLC’, both clinical trials and investigations should be focused on it.

Bibliographic Reference

Yano T et al.: "Never-smoking nonsmall cell lung cancer as a separate entity: clinicopathologic features and survival", Cancer. 2008 Sep 1;113(5):1012-8