A troubling trend is emerging in lung cancer statistics: while rates are declining for most groups, one population is seeing a steady rise. Asian American women who have never smoked are experiencing a 2% annual increase in lung cancer incidence, according to findings presented by Dr. Jeffrey Velotta at the CHEST Annual Meeting 2023.
“This is the only group across the board where lung cancer is actually increasing,” Velotta emphasized. The reasons remain unclear, but possible contributors include biological factors, secondhand smoke, and environmental pollution. Velotta noted, “We don’t have all the answers right now.”
To investigate further, researchers launched the FANS study—Female Asian Never Smoker—through a collaboration between Kaiser Permanente and UCSF. The study includes surveys, saliva tests, and tissue analysis to explore potential causes. Questions range from cooking habits to birthplace and exposure to smoking through partners.
Velotta, a thoracic surgeon, observed the trend firsthand in Northern California, which has the largest Asian American population in the U.S. “Many of my patients were Asian female, smoker or nonsmoker,” he said. “We’re seeing a rise overall in lung cancer that we’re removing in the operating room.”
The research aims to uncover molecular markers and environmental patterns that could explain the disparity. “This brings to the forefront that this is a problem,” Velotta said. “We need to study this problem, and we need to take it more seriously.”
See: “Digging Into the Increasing Lung Cancer Rate for Female, Asian, Never Smokers: Dr Jeffrey Velotta” (October 9, 2023)
