People who have never smoked a cigarette in their whole lives can also fall prey to lung cancer. Doctors revealed that assessment of the DNA codes of hundreds of individuals may give an explanation to the question that why some people who never smoke are at risk of getting inflicted with fatal lung cancer.

Usually only those suffer from lung cancer who smoke or have smoked in the past. But it is really astonishing to know that 10% of all lung cancer patients worldwide are 'never smokers'.

In Asia, about 30 to 40% victims of lung cancer are the people who have never smoked. Two-third of the women across the globe are 'never-smokers'.

About 754 smokers, with or without lung cancer were studied by Gene scientists led by Ping Yang from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, in Rochester, Minnesota, who discovered two telltale genetic variants in Chromosome 13.

Ping Yang said, "This is the first gene that has been found that is specifically associated with lung cancer in people who have never smoked".

The study revealed that these variants boost the risk of lung cancer by nearly 60%.