Lung cancer is still most closely associated with smoking, but a growing number of cases are being diagnosed in people who have never smoked — with Asian women disproportionately affected. At the inaugural Stanford Lung Cancer Summit, researchers emphasized that up to one in five lung cancer patients fall into this “never-smoker” category, underscoring the urgent need for new research and tailored clinical approaches.
Bryant Lin, MD, a Taiwanese American physician and co-director of Stanford’s Center for Asian Health Research and Education, shared his own diagnosis of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer to highlight the human toll behind the statistics. “My youngest child is in seventh grade… my hope is that you all here today will come up with great discoveries and great advances… and then I can live to see my youngest graduate,” he told colleagues.
Scientists presented new findings on genetic, biological, and environmental factors that may explain why never-smoker lung cancer is especially common in Asian women. Christina Curtis, PhD, described how machine learning can identify molecular subtypes of cancer, offering promise for more targeted therapies. Steven Artandi, MD, reported that unusually long telomeres — protective caps on chromosomes — may be a significant risk factor. And Tushar Desai, MD, emphasized that mapping the origins of tumors in lung cells could help improve early detection.
Latha Palaniappan, MD, noted that while Asians make up 60 percent of the global population, they represent only 8 percent of genetic databases and 10 percent of clinical trial participants. “We have a long way to go to close that gap,” she said.
See: “When Lung Cancer Strikes Without Warning” (April 8, 2025)
