A troubling trend is emerging in cancer statistics: lung cancer rates are rising among Asian American women who have never smoked. From 2007 to 2018, these rates increased by approximately 2% annually, even as lung cancer declined in other groups. More than half of Asian American women diagnosed with lung cancer have no history of smoking, prompting researchers to call it a hidden epidemic.
Environmental exposures may be part of the puzzle. Cooking oil fumes and secondhand smoke have long been linked to lung cancer in Asian women abroad, but little research has focused on Asian American women. Air pollution is another concern. Asian Americans are exposed to 73% more fine particulate pollution than white Americans, often due to living near industrial or high-traffic areas.
Current screening guidelines exclude non-smokers, making early detection difficult. Routine lung cancer screening is recommended only for those with a significant smoking history, leaving many Asian American women without access until symptoms appear—often too late.
To address this disparity, the Female Asian Never Smokers (FANS) study was launched in 2021. Funded by the NIH, it is the first and largest study investigating lung cancer in Asian American women who have never smoked. Researchers hope to uncover causes ranging from genetics to cultural factors.
Until more answers emerge, experts urge awareness of symptoms and risk factors. “Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer,” the report reminds readers.
See: “Lung cancer rates are rising: Non-smoking Asian American women” (May 15, 2025)
