India, Aug. 1 -- Tobacco use and smoking are well-known leading causes of lung cancer. However, an alarming trend has emerged; an increasing number of lung cancer cases are being reported among women who have never smoked.

Explaining this, Dr. Nayan Gupta, specialist in surgical oncology, HCG Cancer Centre, Indore, in an interview with HT Lifestyle said, "Hundreds of women, especially in conservative households, spend several hours a day in the kitchen. Cooking, particularly with solid fuels such as coal, wood, or biomass, emits a multifaceted combination of harmful gases and particulate matter.

Cancer-causing substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that may initiate malignant transformation in lung tissue following l...