An unlucky trait can increase your lung cancer risk by 62 times
New York Post • • health
Key Points:
- A rare inherited germline mutation, T790M in the EGFR gene, can increase lung cancer risk by 62 times in non-smokers and 25 times in smokers, highlighting a significant genetic risk factor beyond tobacco use.
- Tobacco smoking remains the leading cause of lung cancer, increasing risk by four times in the general population, but this study emphasizes that non-smokers with certain genetic mutations are also highly susceptible.
- The T790M mutation, found in about 1 in 15,850 individuals and originating from Southern Appalachian populations 200-225 years ago, is strongly associated specifically with lung cancer and not other cancers or conditions.
- Current lung cancer screening focuses mainly on tobacco exposure, but researchers suggest that individuals with the T790M mutation might benefit from early genetic-based screening to detect cancer at a potentially curable stage.
- Targeted therapies for EGFR-mutated lung cancer, such as AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso and Johnson & Johnson’s Rybrevant, have been developed to treat this specific genetic form of the disease.
