# A global study has linked air pollution to lung cancer-driving DNA mutations, particularly in people who have never smoked. Researchers found higher pollution levels correspond to more cancer-promoting mutations, including in the TP53 gene, commonly linked to smoking. The study, involving 871 lung cancer patients across continents, also found air pollution shortens telomeres, a marker of cancer risk. With smoking rates declining, never-smokers now account for up to 25-percent of lung cancer cases.
Global study links air pollution to lung cancer-driving DNA mutations