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| Risk factors for lung cancer
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Cigarette smoking Smoking is the one of the most important risk factors for lung cancer. Approximately 87 percent of all lung cancers are related to cigarette smoking. The risk of developing lung cancer is proportionately high according to the number of cigarette a person smokes. A person who smokes one pack of cigarette a day is estimated to have 20-fold increase in the risk of lung cancer when compared to a person who never smoked. The risk of development of lung cancer is related number of pack-years of smoking. If a person has smoked 2 packs of cigarettes for 20 years, his or her pack-years of smoking is 40, and that person may have a comparable risk to another person who had smoked 1 pack a day for 40 years again, having 40 pack-years of smoking history. The good news is that there is a trend towards decrease in smoking in Americans from 1977 onwards. If a person who has been smoker, stop smoking, the risk of development of lung cancer decreases, but this decreased risk is not apparent until about 5 years from the time of stopping smoking. After 5 years, the risk of development of lung cancer decreases in previous smokers, but it usually does not come down to the low risk level of persons who have never smoked for at least 25 years. The benefit of quitting smoking appears to be more if the person stops smoking at a younger age |
compared to older age. Secondhand smoking Smoking not only causes damage to the individuals who smoke, but also to the near and dear ones who gets the exposure to cigarette smoke from secondhand smoking. It is estimated that in the United States alone at least 3000 persons die from lung cancer directly related to secondhand smoking. If you are a non-smoker living in the same household with a smoker, your risk of developing lung cancer is 30 percent higher compared to non-smokers who do not live with a smoker. Exposure to asbestos People who have been exposed to asbestos in the past have a very high risk of developing lung cancer. It is also to be noted that those who had been exposed to asbestos have an extremely high risk of development of plural mesothelioma. Exposure to environmental radon and other radioactive materials A recent study has shown that, those who are exposed to radon in the home environment have a higher risk of developing lung cancer compared to those who had no such exposure. This issue is still controversial and the final word is not out yet. Uranium miners, who had exposure to radioactive dust and materials, have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. |
| Risk factors for lung cancer |
