Lung Cancer in ‘Never-Smokers’ Draws New Focus—and Questions - STAT News
Researchers are grappling with demographic shifts in the disease and what can be done.
May 12, 2026
In a recent write-up for STAT News, reporter Andrew Joseph notes that “as the percentage of people who smoke has declined over the decades, people who’ve never smoked have begun accounting for a greater proportion of lung cancer cases overall.”
Joseph goes on to analyze how the changing epidemiology of the disease is bringing new focus to the differences in how lung cancer manifests in patients who have used tobacco versus those who have not.
The latest demographic research is raising questions about whether screening recommendations need to be updated. The Susan Wojcicki Foundation is working directly on expansion of lung cancer screening guidelines. Learn more about our work.
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