LUCKNOW, Nov. 14 -- Lung cancer cases have witnessed a sharp rise over the past decade, increasing from around one patient a month to nearly one a day. Doctors, while speaking at a pre-conference briefing of the National Chest Summit 2026 on Friday, also reported a growing number of cases among non-smokers. They attributed the changing trend, in part, to prolonged exposure to air pollution. Prof Rajendra Prasad, former head of the pulmonary department at KGMU, raised concerns over the increasing incidence of lung cancer and respiratory diseases among non-smokers. Doctors also reported a nearly threefold rise in COPD cases among non-smokers over past decade. Dr Nikhil Gupta of the general medicine department at RMLIMS emphasised the importance of wearing masks during periods of high pollution. Dr TP Singh, former director of Balrampur Hospital, said greater awareness and increased testing had led to cases being detected, but declining age of patients remained cause for concern. The summit will also deliberate on advances in artificial intelligence, lung treatment techniques and critical care. htc...