Hyderabad, Feb. 4 -- Bringing awareness to a new phenomenon, a study published inThe Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal reveals lung cancer is no longer restricted to smokers but is now emerging as the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among non-smokers.

Lung cancer accounts for most of the cancer-related deaths worldwide with a majority of the global population living in areas with air quality index below World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Interestingly, the number of smokers worldwide has reduced while there is a significant rise in lung cancer cases in non-smokers.

The study identifiedadenocarcinoma, a subtype of lung cancer to be the leading diagnosis among non-smokers accounting for 53-70 percent of cancer ca...