A rare inherited genetic change has been discovered that substantially increases the probability of developing lung cancer even in individuals who have never smoked. Among carriers of this mutation, the risk of developing the disease among non-smokers is more than 60 times higher than in people without this mutation.
Researchers analyzed genetic data covering over 3.3 million people. During the study, they identified a specific change in a gene responsible for cell growth and division, establishing its close link to lung cancer.
In general, the presence of this mutation correlates with an increased risk of the disease by approximately 25 times. In smokers, this risk increases by about ten times, whereas in those who have never smoked, a much more significant increase in probability is observed.
The study's authors believe that this discovery may contribute to the earlier detection of individuals with a high predisposition to lung cancer in the future. Currently, doctors primarily rely on smoking history when deciding on the need for examination, but the hereditary factor may become one of the criteria later on.
It should be noted that scientists found no connection between this mutation and seventeen other common forms of cancer, which may indicate that its effect is concentrated predominantly on lung cancer.
The first detection of this rare genetic change occurred in 2005 as part of a study of a European family where several relatives suffered from lung cancer. Later, the mutation was identified in other families where the disease manifested with unusual frequency.
According to the researchers themselves, up to 20 percent of all lung cancer patients are non-smokers. The new work allowed for a more accurate assessment of one of the hereditary factors potentially linked to the development of the disease in this population group.
In the context of other scientific research, it was previously reported that scientists in China's Hubei province discovered a new virus transmitted through tick bites.