Cancer

Beyond tobacco: Lung cancer in nonsmokers

Here's what can predispose you to the deadliest malignancy, even if you've never taken a puff.

  • Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
photo illustration of a doctor holding out a hand; floating above it is a pair of lungs with red spots in one lung representing cancer

Allison was like many patients who have lung cancer but never smoked: livid. Diagnosed in her mid-50s, she associated the malignancy solely with cigarettes. Though she's doing well eight years later thanks to a widening array of treatments, Allison never imagined she might one day be counted among lung cancer's ranks.

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About the Author

photo of Maureen Salamon

Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Maureen Salamon is executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later covered health and medicine for a wide variety of websites, magazines, and hospitals. Her work has … See Full Bio
View all posts by Maureen Salamon

About the Reviewer

photo of Toni Golen, MD

Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor

Dr. Toni Golen is a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, practicing in Boston. Dr. Golen completed her residency training at George Washington University Medical Center in 1995, and is an associate professor at Harvard Medical … See Full Bio
View all posts by Toni Golen, MD

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