Risk Factors for Lung Cancer

Having one or more of these factors does not necessarily mean that you will develop lung cancer. Some people without major risk factors can also develop the disease.

Lung cancer risk factors include:

• Smoking: Your risk of developing lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke each day and the number of years you have smoked. Quitting at any age lowers your risk of developing lung cancer.
• Expsore to second hand smoke
• Exposure to radon gas: radon results from the breakdown of uranium in certain soils. The gas may make its way into homes, especially in basements.
• Exposure to asbestos: people exposed to asbestos through their work are at greater risk of developing a condition called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that starts in the lining around the lungs.
• Exposure to radiation: Radiation therapy to the chest from childhood through early adulthood increases lung cancer risk.
• Family history: people with a close relative who had lung cancer are at slightly higher risk for developing lung cancer themselves.
• Prior lung cancer: people who have had lung cancer before are at greater risk for recurrence of lung cancer.