Why are non-smoking women in Indonesia now more vulnerable to lung cancer?

The notion that lung cancer only affects heavy smokers is now being challenged by medical realities in Indonesia. The latest data from 2026 shows a surge in lung cancer cases among women who have never smoked, even at a relatively young age.

Dr. Sita Laksmi Andarini, a specialist in thoracic oncology, explains that this phenomenon is triggered by a combination of deteriorating environmental factors and specific genetic vulnerabilities in the Asian population.

One of the main reasons why non-smoking women are vulnerable to lung cancer is the presence of mutations in the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene. In the Asian population, the prevalence of EGFR mutations in patients with adenocarcinoma lung cancer reaches 40-60%, much higher than the European population, which is only about 10-15%.

This mutation causes cells in the lungs to grow uncontrollably, even though the patient is not directly exposed to carcinogenic substances from cigarette smoke. This condition is often found in women, non-smokers, and young patients.

Air pollution, especially fine particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns (PM2.5), plays a role as a “trigger” that awakens these genetically mutated cells. The mechanism is as follows:

In addition to outdoor air pollution, Dr. Sita also highlights several other risk factors that are often overlooked by women in Indonesia:

Because the symptoms of lung cancer often do not appear in the early stages, Dr. Sita suggests early detection or screening using Low-Dose CT Scan (LDCT) for those who have a family history of lung cancer or live in areas with high pollution, even if they do not smoke.

“Don’t wait for coughing up blood or shortness of breath. If you are in a high-risk group, have regular check-ups because the early stages have a much higher chance of recovery,” she concluded. (Ant/H-3)

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Lung cancer cases in Indonesia appear 10 years earlier than globally. Non-smoking women are now a high-risk group due to pollution and genetics.

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