Prolonged exposure to air pollution can trigger lung cancer, says prominent oncologist

About 10% of lung cancer cases are now caused by air pollution

BENGALURU / Nov 6, 2025: Prolonged exposure to air pollution can increase the risk of developing lung cancer in many ways. Air pollution can contain chemicals like benzene which can produce cancer. The particles inhaled can also irritate the lung chronically, leading to cancer. The smoke particles in the air can cause irritation and inflammation in the lungs, reducing the immunity of lung cells and producing cancer. This was said by Dr Radheshyam Naik, Head of Medical Oncology, Haematology & Bone Marrow Transplantation at Sammprada Hospital, Bengaluru, ahead of National Cancer Awareness Day.

Said Dr. Radheshyam Naik: “Pollutants in the air like diesel exhaust, vehicle fumes, and smoke from biomass burning release carcinogens like benzene, formaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These chemicals can damage the DNA of lung cells, leading to mutations that may develop into cancer. Usually, lung cancer is produced after prolonged exposure of around 10 years to air pollution. There is no safe level of polluted air when it comes to cancer, but risk rises with higher pollution and longer exposure.”

He added: “About 10% of all cases of lung cancers are caused by environmental factors such as air pollution. Some of the recent research shows that breathing polluted air for long periods increases the chance of getting lung cancer. Studies from around the world and from India have found that cities with bad air quality have more lung cancer cases, even among people who never smoked.”

The doctor said that recent years have seen a jump of 20-30% in cases of lung cancer among non-smokers. “The proportion of lung-cancer cases in non-smokers seems to have gone up from around 10-20 % in older data to 40-50 % in more recent studies, showing a substantial shift,” he added. “In my practice, around 30% of lung cancer patients are from non-smoking background today, compared to 10-15% one-and-a-half decade ago, which is a considerable increase.”

Younger patients are also being diagnosed with lung cancer today. “We are now seeing lung cancer in younger people more often than before. Earlier the disease mostly affected older adults, but now many patients are in their 30s and 40s, sometimes even younger. Some of them have never smoked. Increasing pollution levels, passive smoking, and other environmental factors may be the reason for this,” said Dr. Radheshyam Naik.

Talking about the most surprising trend in recent years regarding lung cancer, he said: “One surprising fact is an increase in incidence of lung cancer in women, non-smokers and younger people. The disease is still being seen wrongly as only related to smoking, which leads to delay in diagnosis. Most patients treat lung cancer as smoker’s disease and keep ignoring the symptoms. Any persistent cough, chest discomfort or breathing problems should be checked by a doctor immediately.”

Talking about the steps that individuals can take to reduce their personal risk of lung cancer despite high pollution levels, Dr. Radheshyam Naik said: “Most preventive measures against air pollution can be taken by government agencies, such as stricter regulations and traffic control. However, individuals can follow many precautions like wearing a mask, using air-conditioner while travelling in private vehicles, taking a break from polluted cities and residing in pollution free areas periodically, using air purifiers at home, avoiding smoking and growing air-purifying plants indoors.”

ENDS …