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Lung Cancer: Myths, Risks, Early Screening & Advanced Treatment Options

By Dr. Devavrat Arya in Medical Oncology , Cancer Care / Oncology , Thoracic Oncology

Aug 25 , 2025 | 2 min read

One of the most common myths about lung cancer is that only smokers are at risk, while non-smokers are safe. Unfortunately, nearly 40 to 50% of lung cancer patients in India may have never smoked and still develop the disease.

There are a variety of risk factors that predispose non-smokers to lung cancer. Passive or secondhand smoking, where non-smokers are in close proximity to people who smoke, significantly increases the risk. Increasing air pollution is another major contributor to lung cancer risk. Other risk factors include environmental radiation, exposure to asbestos, and similar carcinogenic substances.

Myth 2: Quitting Smoking Reduces the Risk to Zero

Another common misconception is that once a person quits smoking, the risk of lung cancer drops to zero. Unfortunately, this is not true. Cigarette smoke contains multiple carcinogens, by some accounts, as many as 300, of which 70–75 have been proven to cause cancer in humans.

Once smoking begins, the risk of lung cancer rises significantly, and for those who have smoked for 10–50 years, the risk does not disappear even after quitting. Although quitting reduces the risk over time, it never fully drops to zero. Therefore, it is always advisable not to start smoking, and for those who do smoke, quitting as early as possible is crucial.

Screening for Lung Cancer: Is It Possible?

For a long time, detecting lung cancer early in individuals without symptoms was a challenge. The purpose of a screening test is to identify potentially cancerous lesions in high-risk individuals before symptoms develop.

Low-dose CT (LDCT) scans now make this possible. This form of CT scan involves very minimal radiation and, when done annually, can detect lung cancers early, before they start causing symptoms. Early detection dramatically increases the chances of successful treatment and cure.

Who Should Get a Low-Dose CT Scan?

Low-dose CT scans are typically recommended for individuals who:

Have a history of heavy smoking (more than 10–15 years)
Have quit smoking within the past 15 years
Are above the age of 50

Can Lung Cancer Be Cured?

Another misconception is that a lung cancer diagnosis means no chance of cure. This is not true. All cancers, when diagnosed at an early stage, are potentially curable, and the same applies to lung cancer.

After a diagnosis, various tests such as biopsies and scans are conducted to determine the stage of the disease. In the most common type of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, stage 1 and stage 2 cases are often treated with surgery, which offers a very high chance of cure.

For stage 3 disease, some patients may be eligible for surgery, while others may require a combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy to achieve a cure.

Advanced Treatment Options for Stage 4

Modern science has made significant advancements in treating even stage 4 lung cancer. Treatments are now personalised using specialised testing, including next-generation sequencing (NGS). Based on these results, patients may be offered targeted therapies, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy tailored to their cancer profile.

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