Rare Variant Linked to 25x Higher Lung Cancer Odds — SkimNews
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- Researchers identified a rare genetic variant linked to 25-fold higher odds of lung cancer in never-smokers, publishing the results in the journal Science on Thursday.
- The variant is far more common among people in Southern Appalachia than in other U.S. regions, a geographic pattern noted in the study.
- Experts said the variant likely accounts for only a small portion of never-smoker lung cancer cases, but the finding offers further evidence these tumors can be traced to distinct risk factors.
- The investigators relied on genetic data from 23andMe, drawing from health information on millions of people to make the discovery.
- The findings could prompt reconsideration of lung cancer screening programs and treatment strategies for never-smokers, whose share of lung cancer diagnoses has been rising.
Why it matters: Lung cancer among never-smokers has been an increasingly recognized and poorly understood phenomenon; pinpointing a rare genetic driver — one that clusters sharply in Southern Appalachia — gives researchers a concrete target and suggests screening strategies may need to account for region-specific genetic risk rather than smoking history alone.
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