Rising Lung Cancer Cases Strike Non-Smokers, Including Young Adults

Every two minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with lung cancer. But a disturbing trend is emerging: up to 20 percent of lung cancer cases each year occur in people who have never smoked or smoked very little—and many are younger than expected.

Christy Houvouras, a 36-year-old mother of two who has conquered Mount Kilimanjaro and lives an active lifestyle, never imagined she'd be part of this statistic. Four months ago, she was diagnosed with lung cancer after experiencing chest pain.

"This is a joke, right? Like, I, I, I don't have lung cancer. There's, there's no way," Houvouras recalls.

Dr. Ioana Baiu, a thoracic surgeon at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains that lung cancer can be caused by environmental exposures to radon, asbestos, and air pollution, as well as genetics and secondhand smoke.

Currently, only people ages 50 to 80 with a smoking history are recommended for lung cancer screening—leaving younger non-smokers potentially at risk.

Watch the full video above to learn more about Houvouras' journey, what experts say about early detection, and her remarkable recovery story.