Photo Credit: Doucefleur

Despite decreasing rates of lung cancer overall in the United States, rates among Asian American women appear to be increasing, according to a commentary published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Scarlett Lin Gomez, PhD, and colleagues noted that this rise specifically occurs in those who have never smoked. The researchers examined existing knowledge, based on research in Asia, on a host of risk factors, including family history of lung cancer, history of lung diseases including tuberculosis and COPD, and exposure to cooking fumes and second-hand smoke. The authors noted that the “unique mutational profiles” of tumors in these patients, including a higher prevalence of EGFR mutations among Asian populations, underscore the need for genomic testing in newly diagnosed patients. Dr. Gomez and colleagues also called further research “essential,” particularly given the lack of knowledge regarding risk factors specific to Asian American women, as risk factors identified among Asians in Asia may not be relevant.