Trending Now - Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake May Elevate Lung Cancer Risk

WHO:

Science Daily - Researchers conducted the study on lung cancer and diet.

Medical News Today - Jorge Nieva, MD, a medical oncologist and lung cancer specialist with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the lead author of the study.

WHAT:

Science Daily - The study suggests a link between a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and a higher risk of lung cancer in younger non-smokers.

Medical News Today - The study group included 187 patients with young-onset lung cancer, with women making up 78% of the cohort.

Medical News Today - The average age of receiving a lung cancer diagnosis is 70, and diagnoses before the age of 50 are classified as “young-onset lung cancer.”

Medical News Today - The researchers found that the EGFR and fusion-positive groups had higher-than-average food scores, around 65%, compared to the average U.S. adult’s Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score of 57.

WHERE:

Medical News Today - The study utilized data from the Epidemiology of Young Lung Cancer case study, which is a nationwide observational study in the United States.

WHEN:

Medical News Today - The findings were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in 2026.

Medical News Today - Lung cancer mortality in the United States has declined significantly since 1990.

Medical News Today - New lung cancer cases have fallen in men since the mid-1980s and in women since the mid-2000s, declining annually by 3.0% and 1.4%, respectively, from 2012 to 2021.

WHY:

Science Daily - The researchers raise the possibility that pesticide exposure from conventionally grown produce could be a hidden culprit in the association between diet and lung cancer risk.

Medical News Today - The authors suspect environmental factors may contribute to the association between diet and lung cancer.

HOW:

Medical News Today - Researchers assessed dietary habits using food-frequency questionnaires and evaluated overall diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI).

Medical News Today - The researchers gathered epidemiological survey data covering the year before diagnosis, including smoking history, oral contraceptive use, and demographics.

(UPDATED April 18, 2026 17:11 UTC)

A new study led by Jorge Nieva, MD, a medical oncologist at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, suggests a concerning link between a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and a higher risk of lung cancer in younger non-smokers. The research, which included 187 patients with young-onset lung cancer—78% of whom were women—found that those in the EGFR and fusion-positive groups had food scores significantly higher than the average U.S. adult's Healthy Eating Index score. The study raises questions about the potential role of pesticide exposure from conventionally grown produce and other environmental factors in this association, and the findings were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting in 2026.