Causes of Lung Cancer

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It is largely known that tobacco smoke is the leading cause of lung cancer. There are other causes, though. Recognizing all the different risk factors is important because even people who do not smoke can be at risk for developing the disease.

Since lung cancer is slow to produce symptoms it makes it one of the most deadly cancers, so early diagnosis is important. When a person thinks they can not get lung cancer because they do not smoke they are putting themselves at risk. Everyone has to be aware that they could be at risk for lung cancer.

Smoking

Smoking cigarettes is, by far, the number one cause of lung cancer. This has been known since the 1950s. Some facts about cigarettes, one of the biggest causes of lung cancer, are due to the following:

• Cigarettescontain over 4,000 chemicals that are known causes of lung cancer and cancer in general.
• Smokingmore than one pack a day increases the risk of getting lung cancer to upto 25 times more than a nonsmoker.
• Oncea person quits smoking their risk level goes down, but it can take 15years for a person to reach the risk level of someone who has neversmoked.
• Cigarand pipe tobacco smoking increase the risk for lung cancer, but not as muchas cigarette smoking.
• 90%of all lung cancer cases are caused by tobacco use.
• Exposure to second hand smoke increases aperson’s risk for lung cancer even if they do not smoke themselves.

The increase in your risk of developing lung cancer when smoke are related to the following:

• Howmany cigarettes you smoke
• Ageyou started smoking
• Thelength of time you have smoked or did smoke before quitting

Other Causes of Lung Cancer

As mentioned, smoking is not the only causes of lung cancer. Smoking is the leading cause for small cell cancer, but other lung cancers are linked to other causes. Other causes include:

• Airpollution
• Asbestos exposure
• Lungdisease
• Radonexposure
• Exposureto arsenic, chromium, nickel and ethers on a regular basis, usuallyoccupational related
• Aprevious diagnosis of lung cancer

Many people are exposed to causes of lung cancer on a daily basis without even being aware. The air we breath can be contaminated without or knowledge and air borne pollutants are one of the leading causes of lung cancer.

Protecting yourself from such carcigens can be difficult. While you can make a conscious decision to not smoke or to avoid second hand smoke, you may not be able to avoid other carcigens. That is why everyone has some risk for developing lung cancer.



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