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Lung cancer among patients with secondhand smoke exposure: A systematic review

H. Qasim, Krish S. Sardesai, M. Alghizzawi, B. Ponvilawan, Kailee Bunte, Vedvignesh Gorjala, Simrin Phatak, Lasya P. Daggumati et al.

Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2024

2 citations

Abstract

e22506 Background: Smoking tobacco is recognized as the leading cause of lung cancer. However, it is imperative to note that 10–15% of lung cancer patients have no history of smoking, and that lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths among non-smokers. Since passive smokers are exposed to many carcinogenic compounds in the exhaled smoke, it is naturally plausible that secondhand smoking (SHS) is a risk factor for lung cancer. However, current USPSTF screening guidelines for lung cancer with low dose CT (LDCT) do not include patients exposed to SHS. We performed a systematic review to highlight SHS as an etiology of lung cancer and insights for inclusion in cancer screening criteria. Methods: We utilized the PubMed, Medline, Science Direct, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases to search for relevant literature using keywords ('low Dose CT,' 'secondhand smoke,' 'lung cancer'). The search strategy was designed to ensure a comprehensive retrieval of pertinent literature, minimizing the possibility of omitting articles due to insignificant spelling and/or semantic variations. Eligible studies had to be published between 2010 and 2023 and focused on examining the effect of SHS in populations at risk of lung cancer or those undergoing lung cancer screening. Articles not available in English were excluded from this systematic review. In total, 239 relevant articles were retrieved from all databases, narrowing down to 14 articles after the initial screening and further…

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