Fans were shocked Monday when Kathy Griffin announced that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer. She would be undergoing surgery to remove a portion of her lungs.
Griffin, 60, posted a statement via social media that stated, “The doctors are very optimist as it is stage 1 and contained to my right lung.”
The comedian pointed out that she had been diagnosed with the disease even though she has never smoked.
Experts warn that those who don’t smoke cigarettes or use tobacco products are more at risk for developing lung cancer. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 40,000 lung cancers each year “happen in people who never smoked or smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.”
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Can I get lung cancer if I’ve never smoked?
Although it is possible to develop the disease, it is much less likely if you smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products.
Smokers are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than nonsmokers, according to the CDC.