Scientists have said that lung cancer in Southeast Asia is unique and different from other parts of Asia and the West.

They also found that the genetic composition of lung cancer in India “is influenced by the complex diversity of its people.”

He further added that most lung cancer patients in India have never smoked, and air pollution can cause lung cancer even in non-smokers.

In light of this, scientists called for region-focused studies, saying specific climatic factors, such as air pollution and other cancer-causing environmental factors, directly contribute to lung cancer.

“Although several guidelines exist, we need dynamic guidelines that evolve with changing science, are region-specific, and developed from data generated in Southeast Asia rather than global data,” the authors wrote.

The researchers, including a team from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, said the ratio of research conducted on lung cancer in India to the world is 0.51.

The study, published in The Lancet’s eClinical Medicine journal, showed that lung cancer in India appears about a decade earlier than in Western countries, with diagnosis usually occurring between the ages of 54 and 70.

This is partly because India’s population is young (median age 28.2 years) compared to the US (38 years) and China (39 years).

The study authors noted that specific regional risk factors, such as air pollution and genetic mutations, also play a role.

The incidence rate of lung cancer has increased from 6.62 per 100,000 in 1990 to 7.7 per 100,000 in 2019, and is expected to increase significantly by 2025, even in urban areas.

The male-to-female ratio of lung cancer cases also reflects higher tobacco use in men (42.4% vs 14.2% in women).

In another paper in the same series, researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi analysed the impact of climate change on lung cancer in Asia.

Citing the World Air Quality Report 2022, the authors said 37 of the world’s 40 most polluted cities are in South Asia and India is among the four most polluted countries.

China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand are among the countries most affected by national disasters in Asia and reported the highest number of lung cancer cases in 2020, with more than 9.65 lakh new cases, the researchers said.

“As climate change continues, it is likely to increase the burden of lung cancer, which is already a significant public health challenge in Asia,” the authors wrote.