#NonSmoker

Air quality is a pressing health issue in Thai cities, where pollution levels surge during dry seasons. Groundbreaking research by a leading U.S. health institute links fine particulate matter to more cancer-driving genetic mutations in the lungs of nonsmokers. This points to environmental roots of lung cancer and underscores the urgency of cleaner air in urban Thailand.

Lung cancer is not solely a smoker’s disease. Across Thailand and Asia, many patients are nonsmokers. The NIH study combined tumor samples with local air data and found that residents in high PM2.5 areas carry a heavier burden of driver mutations in tumors. This suggests polluted air damages DNA and sparks cancer pathways even without tobacco exposure. The findings align with regional patterns where air pollution poses a notable risk to women and older adults.

A groundbreaking study from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has established a direct link between exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) and an increase in genetic mutations found in lung cancers among individuals who have never smoked—a development with profound implications for global health and for air quality management in Thailand. The newly released research, which represents a significant advance in our understanding of the environmental roots of lung cancer, raises fresh concerns about urban pollution and the invisible risks it poses, particularly for non-smoking populations.