Lung cancer is largely considered a disease that occurs among smokers. Yet, worldwide approximately 53% of women and 15% of men with lung cancer are never smokers. Lung cancers in never smokers cannot be fully attributed to known risk factors for lung cancer, which include environmental tobacco smoke, air pollution, radon, asbestos, silica and heavy metals. Risks associated with genetics, viral infections, hormonal factors, and previous lung diseases have also been identified. However, evidence of such associations in never smokers has been modest or inconsistent. Moreover, lung cancers that develop in never smokers and smokers may differ given the variations in molecular profiles, response to treatment, and incidence by gender that have been observed. These differences highlight the importance of further investigating the determinants of lung cancer in never smokers. We propose to use CPRD, which provides a large never smoker lung cancer population with detailed medical histories, to identify possible risk factors related to medical conditions and medication use.
Worldwide approximately 53% of women and 15% of men with lung cancer are never smokers (Parkin 2002). Known risk factors for lung cancers include environmental tobacco smoke, air pollution, radon, asbestos, silica and heavy metals (Samet 2009; Sun 2007; Subramanian & Govindan 2007). More recently, a series of studies have uncovered genomic regions associated with genetic susceptibility that might be unique to East Asian female never smokers (Seow 2017; Lan 2012). Still lung cancer in never smokers can not be fully attributed to known environmental or genetic risk factors (Samet 2009). Risks associated with viral infections, hormonal factors, and previous lung diseases have also been identified (Samet 2009; Sun 2007; Subramanian & Govindan 2007). However, evidence of such associations in never smokers has been modest or inconsistent. Moreover, differences in molecular profiles, response to treatment, and incidence by gender that have been observed between lung cancers that develop in never smokers and smokers suggest different disease etiology (Sun 2007; Korpanty 2018). These differences highlight the importance of further investigating the etiology of lung cancer in never smokers. We propose to investigate the risk of lung cancer among the never smoker population in CPRD associated with medical conditions and medication use.
Lung cancer
Maria Teresa Landi - Chief Investigator - National Cancer Institute ( NCI )
Maria Teresa Landi - Corresponding Applicant - National Cancer Institute ( NCI )
Curt DellaValle - Collaborator - National Cancer Institute ( NCI )
Marie Bradley - Collaborator - Food and Drug Administration - FDA
Monica DArcy - Collaborator - National Cancer Institute ( NCI )
Ruth Pfeiffer - Collaborator - National Cancer Institute ( NCI )
Shahinaz Gadalla - Collaborator - National Cancer Institute ( NCI )
HES Admitted Patient Care;Practice Level Index of Multiple Deprivation