GREENSBORO, N.C. — We've all seen a non-smoker's lung versus a smoker's black lung which puts someone at risk for lung cancer, but now doctors are warning that non-smokers are also at risk.
After moving halfway around the world to teach English in South Korea, Candace Yates from Denton found herself having trouble traveling up the stairs.
"I was out of breath, and I was like whew, am I really in this bad of a shape?" she said.
When it got worse, she went to the doctor who said she had lung cancer even though Yates never smoked.
"Not other than like one puff and trying it and being like oh gosh this is terrible,” she said. “I was never a smoker."
She does have a family history of lung cancer. Her Mom and her uncle both had it and died within a year of being diagnosed.
"I was 30 years old lying in bed thinking: oh gosh, I have a lot to get in order in a year if this is it,” Yates said.
According to CDC researchers there are about 40,000 cases of lung cancer in non-smokers every year in the United States. 7,300 are caused by secondhand smoke. 2,900 are from radon exposure. That still leaves about 30,000 cases every year.
Yates's doctor at Novant Health, Garrett Sherwood, says research is still being done trying to figure out if genetics plays a part or what else could cause the trend.
“There’s a lot that we don't yet know,” Sherwood said. “I think for now that's why we're emphasizing the message that anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. Persistent cough, losing weight without meaning to, things on scans, maybe your doctor treats you for pneumonia but it doesn't go away. I think the number one thing is that people need to learn to advocate for themselves. You know, you gotta trust your body, you have to know what's normal for you and what's not normal. "
He also says if a scan finds a nodule on your lungs, take it seriously.
“We find a lot of nodules by accident. People get scans for other reasons and they might see something small in the lung. And if you're traditionally someone who's not at risk of lung cancer, your doctors might gloss over it and say that's normal. But in reality, those nodules need to be followed up,” Sherwood said.
As for Yates, she just passed the one-year mark and is doing much better.
“I never would have imagined that at one year, I would be up and moving and getting myself ready and sitting here talking,” Yates said.
Right now the US Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend lung cancer screening for people who have never smoked, but if you ever have these three symptoms you should go to the doctor: coughing up blood, chest pain, and constant shortness of breath.