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Lung Cancer in Never Smokers: Delving into Epidemiology, Genomic and Immune Landscape, Prognosis, Treatment, and Screening

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Abstract

Lung cancer in never smokers (LCINS) represents a growing and distinct entity within the broader landscape of lung malignancies. This review provides a comprehensive overview of LCINS, encompassing its epidemiologic trends, risk factors, distinct genomic alterations, clinical outcomes and the ongoing initiative aimed at formulating screening guidelines tailored to this unique population. As LCINS continues to gain prominence, understanding its intricate genomic landscape has become pivotal for tailoring effective therapeutic strategies. Moreover, LCINS does not meet the criteria for lung cancer screening as per the current guidelines. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore its heterogeneity in order to devise optimal screening guidelines conducive to early-stage detection. This review underscores the vital importance of detailed research to elucidate the multifaceted nature of LCINS, with the potential to shape future clinical management and screening recommendations for this unique and growing patient cohort.

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AECD, EM, KT and HC: wrote the manuscript. GC: prepared the figures. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Haiying Cheng.

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Daylan, A.E.C., Miao, E., Tang, K. et al. Lung Cancer in Never Smokers: Delving into Epidemiology, Genomic and Immune Landscape, Prognosis, Treatment, and Screening. Lung 201, 521–529 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-023-00661-3

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