According to new data from the American Cancer Society, lung cancer incidence in women younger than 65 has surpassed the rates it appears in men. Additionally, lung cancer is ranked as the number one cancer killer in the U.S.
More than 84% of women and 90% of men with a new diagnosis of lung cancer either smoke or used to smoke. However, lung cancer in those who have never smoked is on the rise. According to the American Cancer Society, almost 16% of women and almost 10% of men with a new diagnosis of lung cancer had never smoked.
I recently interviewed a woman named Devonne whose lung cancer diagnosis came as a complete shock. She had never smoked a day in her life, yet she found herself on an unexpected and life-changing journey.
“I’m living my life, doing everything I did before. But now, I tell my story because I know how important early detection is.”
Devonne’s story began with something seemingly minor—a persistent cough.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel like anything was wrong at the time. I had a persistent cough, and I was just ignoring it. It was just a cough to me,” Devonne told BlackDoctor.org.
It wasn’t until a concerned friend stepped in that Devonne sought medical attention.
“A friend of mine noticed and was like, ‘It’s been well over a week. I’m coming to pick you up and taking you to the hospital.’ If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be in the position I am now, and I’m grateful to her,” Devonne adds.
At the hospital, doctors diagnosed Devonne with pneumonia, but an X-ray revealed something more concerning—a spot on her lung.
This discovery set off a chain of medical evaluations at City of Hope that ultimately led to her lung cancer diagnosis.
“I met with a specialist, and that’s when things started to become clearer. They wanted to do a robotic-assisted biopsy to get a better look at what was going on,” Devonne says.
“When the oncologist mentioned that cancer was a possibility, I was in complete shock. I was like, ‘Wait… me? Cancer? Especially lung cancer?’”
Jae Kim, M.D., associate professor and chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at City of Hope, who treated Devonne, emphasizes that while lung cancer is most common in older individuals, there has been a troubling increase in cases among younger non-smokers, especially women.
“The reasons for this are not entirely clear,” Dr. Kim explains.
“About 20% of lung cancers in the U.S. occur in women who’ve never smoked, while for men, it’s only about 10%. Factors like air pollution, genetic predisposition, and secondhand smoke exposure could all play a role.”
Fortunately, Devonne’s cancer was caught at an early stage.
“If I had not gone in when I did, who knows what stage it would have been at? A lot of times, people don’t get diagnosed until it’s stage 4,” Devonne notes.
Devonne underwent a robotic-assisted surgical procedure to remove the cancerous tissue.
“Anytime you hear the word ‘surgery,’ it’s scary,” she admits. “But this was robotic assisted, which was much less invasive. There was a small camera that went in, and they could see exactly where the problem was.”
“Her tumor was in a location that was relatively difficult to biopsy using traditional methods. We used a robotic bronchoscopy, where a small, flexible camera—about the width of a pen—is inserted through the mouth. This allows us to precisely locate and biopsy the tumor without puncturing the lung from the outside, significantly reducing risks,” Dr. Kim says.
Robotic surgery also made Devonne’s recovery much smoother.
“Most of our lung surgeries are now robotic,” Dr. Kim adds. “It allows us to make small incisions, avoiding the need to break or spread the ribs. This speeds up recovery, reduces pain, and helps patients return to their normal lives faster.”
For Devonne, that meant going home just a few days after surgery and starting chemotherapy soon after.
“I was in the hospital for maybe two or three days. Everything went well. I honestly didn’t even need any pain medication afterward,” she shares.
Her chemotherapy experience, while challenging, was made easier by the compassionate medical team at City of Hope.
“I was scared at first, not knowing what to expect. But they treated me like family. That made all the difference,” Devonne adds.
Today, Devonne is cancer-free and passionate about spreading awareness.
“I’m living my life, doing everything I did before. But now, I tell my story because I know how important early detection is,” she says.
She hopes to break the misconception that lung cancer only affects smokers.
“People think, ‘Oh, I don’t smoke, so I won’t get lung cancer.’ That’s not true. I never smoked, and yet I got it. You just never know,” Devonne adds.
Jasmine Smith is Blackdoctor.org associate editor, where this commentary was originally published