Non-smokers affected by lung cancer: Kate Micucci is not an isolated case
An Egyptian respiratory diseases consultant stated that the diagnosis of a famous American star with lung cancer is not an isolated case, contrary to the implication in her comment posted on her TikTok account, which gained widespread attention.
American star Kate Micucci, known for her role in “The Big Bang Theory,” commented on her lung cancer diagnosis on her TikTok account, saying, “What happened to me is very strange because I have never put a single cigarette in my mouth, so it was surprising.”
Khaled Abdelmoumen, a consultant in respiratory diseases at the Egyptian Ministry of Health, explained that “the diagnosis of non-smokers with lung cancer is not an isolated and rare case, as implied by this comment, as smoking is one cause among several that may be responsible for the disease.”
Lung cancer can occur due to other risk factors besides smoking, including exposure to secondhand smoke (passive smoking), radon gas, air pollution, family history of lung cancer leading to a genetic mutation, such as a mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene or other genes.
To prevent the disease, Abdelmoumen says that “some risk factors, such as a family history of lung cancer, cannot be changed, but the risk of infection resulting from other causes can be reduced by avoiding passive smoking, diesel exhaust, and other air pollutants.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in America, about 50% to 60% of lung cancers in people who have never smoked are adenocarcinomas (cancer that begins in the cells lining the small air sacs in the lungs and produces substances like mucus), and about 10% to 20% are squamous cell carcinomas (cancer that forms in the flat cells lining the inside of the lungs), with adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinoma being two types of non-small cell lung cancer, representing (6% to 8%) of lung cancer types, and the rest are other types.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in America do not recommend lung cancer screening for people who have never smoked, as the potential harms of the screening outweigh the potential benefits of early detection of lung cancer.
There is an emphasis on paying attention to symptoms that lead to early detection of the disease, indicating that the symptoms are the same, whether you are a smoker or not. Some people experience general symptoms such as not feeling well or feeling tired all the time. Some people have a persistent cough, cough up blood, or experience chest pain, wheezing, or shortness of breath.
Since these symptoms can occur with other diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stress that “if you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor, who can help find the cause.”
