Scientists have identified a rare inherited genetic mutation that can increase a person’s risk of developing lung cancer by roughly 25 times overall and by about 60 times among non-smokers, according to landmark research published in the journal Science. Lead study author Dr. Jaclyn LoPiccolo noted that carrying the variant raises lung cancer odds roughly 62 times in never-smokers, compared to about 11 times in individuals with a history of smoking. Gene genealogical tracing revealed that the EGFR T790M variant is concentrated disproportionately in Southern Appalachian populations across Tennessee and Alabama.