India is home to some of the most polluted cities in the world, with poor air quality being a major concern. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measure of the level of air pollution, and India has been struggling with high AQI levels for years. Amid all this, recent research highlights air pollution as a growing factor in the increasing number of lung cancer cases worldwide. The study was published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal on World Cancer Day 2025. Also read | Bad air behind rise in lung cancer in non-smokers: Study
Fifth highest cause of cancer deaths worldwide
The proportion of people being diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked is increasing, with air pollution an ‘important factor’, the…