Rare Variant Tied to 25x Lung Cancer Risk in Never-Smokers — SkimNews
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- Researchers identified a rare genetic variant associated with 25-fold higher odds of lung cancer, reporting the finding in the journal Science on Thursday.
- The variant is far more common among people in Southern Appalachia than in other regions of the U.S., according to the study.
- Experts said the variant likely accounts for only a small portion of never-smoker lung cancer cases, but provides further evidence these tumors have distinct risk factors.
- 23andMe supplied the genetic data underpinning the study, which leveraged large datasets with health information from millions of people to surface narrow but crucial discoveries.
- Never-smoker lung cancer has been rising in prevalence among diagnosed patients for years, driving researchers to investigate genetic, environmental, or other contributing causes.
- The findings may require rethinking screening programs and treatment strategies for never-smoker lung cancer, given evidence that distinct risk factors are at play.
Why it matters: A 25-fold risk increase tied to a geographically concentrated variant could reshape screening priorities for never-smokers in Southern Appalachia, where the variant is most prevalent, and pushes the field toward targeted approaches for a lung-cancer subtype long treated as a mystery.
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