Lung cancer: three origins discovered in non-smokers – Yahoo News

In France, lung cancer is the cancer the deadliest, although not the most common. The tobacco consumption the risk of declaring it increases tenfold, on average around 66 years old. Non-smokers can also be affected. Exposure to asbestos, air pollution or even radon can trigger lung cancer. The link between exposure to an environmental factor and the development of lung cancer in a lifelong non-smoker is not always established. It can appear for no apparent reason.

An American-Canadian team carried out a genomic analysis of cancerous lung tissue taken from people who have never used tobacco. Doctors were thus able to identify three subtypes of lung cancer specific to non-smokers and their origins. They publish their results in Nature Genetics.

Radon, the main cause of lung cancer after smoking

“Piano”, “mezzo forte” and “forte”

In total, 232 cancerous tissue samples were analyzed. Doctors performed whole genome sequencing (whole genome sequencing) cancer cells and compared the mutational signatures between diseased and healthy tissues. Three subtypes of lung cancer then emerged, classified according to their “noise”, ie the number of changes in the genome.

First, the mutational signatures identified do not match those caused by the tobacco or passive smoking. They are of endogenous origin, due to the natural process of mutation or to the oxidative stress that all cells undergo. To spin the musical metaphor, the three subtypes have been named “piano”, “mezzo forte” and “forte”. The “piano” subtype, predominant in the samples analyzed, is characterized by the presence of several mutated genes such as …

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