"Three months of cough" terminal lung cancer? ... Non-smoking man in his 30s who exercised daily, what's going on?

The story of a man in his 30s from the UK, who had been coughing for three months and was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, has been revealed. The cancer had spread throughout his body, making a cure unlikely, and he was even a non-smoker.

According to recent UK media outlet Daily Mail, Lewis Daines (35), who lives in the UK, has never smoked in his life but was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer after experiencing persistent coughing. The cough started in December of last year. He had been coughing lightly for about three months, but Lewis took it lightly. He said, "I was meeting people who were sick every day, so I didn't think much of it," and "I managed my cough while going to the gym and going about my daily life."

As time went on, not only did the cough persist, but pain also appeared in his shoulders and chest. In February, Louis visited the emergency room and was diagnosed with a tumor in his lung. A golf ball-sized tumor was growing in his right lung. The tumor had also spread to his bones and adrenal glands, and was in a state where treatment was impossible. Even with treatment, it would only buy a little time; a complete cure was essentially unlikely.

He was ultimately diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and said, "I had no symptoms before coughing, and I exercised every night and didn't drink alcohol," adding, "I was angry thinking, 'There are people who smoke their whole lives, so why did I get it?'"

He continued, "In the worst case, I thought I could just remove the tumor even if it was cancer, but it was hard to accept when I heard it was an incurable disease," and added, "If I don't receive treatment, I can survive for about 4 to 7 months." Currently, Louis's health has deteriorated, but he is conducting a fundraising campaign, saying, "I don't want to be a burden to my family."

Lung cancer, which is difficult to detect early and has a low survival rate... symptoms such as cough, phlegm, and chest pain appear.

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in the lungs. As seen in the above story, lung cancer is difficult to detect early and is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in a low survival rate. It is not easy to suspect lung cancer in advance because there are no specific symptoms. In reality, only about 5-15% of cases are diagnosed early, and the probability of surviving more than five years after a lung cancer diagnosis is approximately 40%. It is known that less than 10% of patients survive more than ten years.

When lung cancer progresses to a certain extent, symptoms such as cough and phlegm appear, similar to a common cold. Like the man in the story, he may also have a cough that feels like a sore throat. In addition, bloody sputum, shortness of breath, chest pain, and hoarseness are known to be common symptoms of lung cancer.

Factors that increase lung cancer risk in non-smokers?... Air pollution substances such as car exhaust gases induce cancer cells

The biggest cause of lung cancer is smoking. Smokers are known to have a 15 to 80 times higher risk of developing lung cancer than non-smokers. However, as in the case of the man in the story, it is possible to develop lung cancer even without smoking throughout one's life. Statistics also show that about 90% of female lung cancer patients are non-smokers. Factors that cause lung cancer in non-smokers are diverse, in addition to the widely known passive smoking.

First, frequent exposure to fine dust, automobile exhaust gases, and various air pollutants increases the risk of lung cancer. Exhaust gases contain components such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds that irritate the respiratory system and increase the risk of inflammation and cancer development.

There are also research findings indicating that air pollution is a cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. A joint research team from the Francis Crick Institute in the UK and University College London analyzed non-smoker lung cancer patients and found that most of the patients lived in areas with severe air pollution. The researchers explained that pollutants such as PM2.5, generated by automobile exhaust and fossil fuels, induce lung inflammation and cause mutations in tumor genes, leading to the growth of cancer cells.

Cooking fumes also cause lung cancer... Women who cook in enclosed kitchens have a 5.8 times higher risk of lung cancer.

The steam produced during cooking is a cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Cooking methods that use a lot of oil at high temperatures or preparing protein foods such as fish or meat release carcinogenic substances. Cooking fumes contaminated with these substances pollute indoor air and increase the risk of lung cancer.

Therefore, it is important to ensure proper ventilation during cooking. Research shows that women who cook in well-ventilated kitchens have a 1.5 times lower risk of developing lung cancer compared to women who cook in poorly ventilated kitchens, and women who cook in enclosed kitchens have a 5.8 times higher risk.