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Cancer research

New Lung Cancer Data Reveals Inflammatory Diseases as Key Factor in Never-Smoker Cases

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of lung cancer, highlighting the connection between inflammatory diseases and the risk of lung cancer in individuals who have never smoked. According to a study published in Nature Communications, conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease/Emphysema (COPD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and bronchitis were found to significantly increase the risk of lung cancer in never-smokers. These findings have significant implications for the development of screening programs for lung cancer in this high-risk population.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that inflammatory diseases such as COPD, GERD, bronchitis, diabetes mellitus type 1, and gastritis were significantly associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in never-smokers.
  • The associations between inflammatory diseases and lung cancer risk were validated in an independent dataset, CPRD-Aurum, which consisted of 2188 LCINS cases and 19,597 never-smoking controls.
  • Adjusting for medication use only slightly attenuated the associations between inflammatory diseases and lung cancer risk.
  • The study suggests that conditions such as GERD or COPD could be considered as part of eligibility criteria for future lung cancer screening programs.
  • The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | NCI | Division of Cancer Epidemiology And Genetics, National Cancer Institute; UNC | Gillings School of Public Health.
  • Monica E. D'Arcy, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, was the lead researcher on the project.
  • Additional authors on the study include Ruth M. Pfeiffer, Marie C. Bradley, Phuc H. Hoang, Thi-Van-Trinh Tran, and others.

Statistics:

  • The study consisted of 1581 LCINS cases and 14,318 never-smoking controls.
  • The associations between inflammatory diseases and lung cancer risk were validated in an independent dataset, CPRD-Aurum, which consisted of 2188 LCINS cases and 19,597 never-smoking controls.
  • The study found that conditions such as GERD, COPD, and bronchitis were significantly associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in never-smokers, with odds ratios ranging from 2.2 to 3.5.

Sources:

  • Inflammatory diseases and risk of lung cancer among individuals who have never smoked. Nature Communications, 2025, 16(1): 1-12.
  • Our news editors report that more information may be obtained by contacting Monica E. D'Arcy, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute.
  • NewsRx. New Lung Cancer Data Have Been Reported by Researchers at National Cancer Institute (NCI) (Inflammatory diseases and risk of lung cancer among individuals who have never smoked). Respiratory Therapeutics Week. June 23, 2025; p 2552.

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