Both active and passive smoking are associated with increased risk of lung cancer.
The risk of lung cancer is associated with increased quantity of cigarette smoking as well as increased duration of smoking.
There is no evidence that smoking low-tar cigarettes lowers the risk (however lung cancer has occurred in people who have never smoked).
The more cigarettes you smoke per day and the earlier you started smoking, the greater your risk of lung cancer.
Recently introduced e-cigarettes, which were thought to be risk-free were recently demonstrated to be also associated with a significantly increased risk of lung cancer due to the presence of formaldehyde.[8]
In the United States, smoking is estimated to account for 87% of lung cancer cases (90% in men and 85% in women).[9]*There is approximately a 20 year lag period between smoking and death due to lung cancer (in men). Shown below is an image depicting the correlation between smoking and lung cancer.
Family history of lung cancer may increase the risk of lung cancer.
First-degree relatives of people who have had lung cancer may have a slightly higher risk of developing lung cancer themselves.
The increased risk among first-degree relatives could be due to a number of factors, such as shared behaviors or living with the same exposure to carcinogens.
Studies of families with a strong history of lung cancer have found that the increased risk might be due to a mutation in a lung cancer gene.
Other studies have shown that the risk of lung cancer in a family increases if a family member developed the disease at an early age.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in rocks and soil.
Radon exposure increases the risk of lung cancer. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers.
The risk of developing lung cancer depends on how much radon a person is exposed to, how long they are exposed as well as whether or not they smoke. The risk from radon is much higher in people who smoke than in those who don't.
Asbestos Exposure
Exposure to asbestos fibers in the air that people breathe increases the risk of lung cancer.
The risk of asbestos exposure is highest for people who work with asbestos, such as miners or those who work with it in manufacturing.
Studies have shown that the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure is especially hazardous.
↑Malhotra J, Malvezzi M, Negri E, La Vecchia C, Boffetta P (September 2016). "Risk factors for lung cancer worldwide". Eur. Respir. J. 48 (3): 889–902. doi:10.1183/13993003.00359-2016. PMID27174888.
↑Samet, JM (May 1988). "Cigarette smoking and lung cancer in New Mexico". American Review of Respiratory Disease. 137 (5): 1110–1113. PMID3264122. Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (help)
↑Parent, ME (Jan 2007). "Exposure to diesel and gasoline engine emissions and the risk of lung cancer". American Journal of Epidemiology. 165 (1): 53–62. PMID17062632. Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (help)