Health, like getting lung cancer without ever smoking
“It only takes three years of breathing polluted air for the incidence of lung cancer in non-smokers to skyrocket. The trigger is fine particles suspended in the air. Air pollution kills eight million people a year around the world” these are some of the worrying results of a study on 30,000 Asian, European and American patients. In Europe, 96% of the urban population is exposed to levels of PM 2.5 particles, well above those recommended by the World Health Organization”. The study, published in Nature, was conducted by oncologist Charles Swanton of the Francis Crick Institute in London with the contribution of several international scientists and researchers. For some years there has been an increasing number of people who, despite not having smoked, develop lung cancer (15% of the total). As many as 300,000 of the 8 million annual deaths are non-smokers who have the EGFR mutation.
Health, 8 million deaths a year from lung cancer
The work analyzed the levels of 2.5 micron particles, the smallest particles generated by the combustion of fuels, and the incidence of lung cancer in study participants in the UK, Canada, Taiwan and South Korea. people had a mutation in the EGFR gene, a typical marker of lung cancer in non-smokers. The results were clear: a strong relationship between air pollution levels and the incidence of these cancers. The study, unlike what was previously thought, has shown that the Fine particles suspended in the air act as a cancer promoter in healthy people who already carry the EGFR gene. In Europe they are about 15% of the sick, but in Asia the percentage can reach 75%. “And this – as the team leader of the study confirms – it is the first time that a carcinogenic compound has been shown to promote cancer without causing mutations. We think this is just the beginning. It is very likely that the other 19 carcinogenic compounds detected so far generate tumors with similar mechanisms”.
Health, the micro particles penetrate deep into the lungs
The fine particles of PM 2.5 penetrate deep into the lungs, pass through the bronchioles and reach the bloodstream. They are 2.5 microns in diameter, while epithelial cells are about 10 microns.According to Swanton, governments and companies, with these new indications, they should feel more responsible and understand how much their actions can impact on health. In summary, the British work confirms that every man is at risk of lung cancer even if he does not smoke and maintains a correct lifestyle, because hardly anyone can escape pollution. Reducing this risk depends on Governments and industrial systems, but at the moment many have understood the risk, but few are taking action to eradicate it.
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