Research has uncovered a rare inherited genetic mutation that can boost an individual’s risk of developing lung cancer by approximately 25 times overall. Among non-smokers, this risk increase rises to about 60 times, according to groundbreaking research published in the journal Science. The study was led by scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the 23andMe Research Institute. They examined de-identified genetic data from more than 3.3 million people. The researchers identified the germline variant, known as EGFR T790M, as one of the most potent inherited risk factors for lung cancer discovered so far.
