Risk Factors of Lung Cancer

Risk factors for lung cancer

The biggest risk factor for lung cancer is smoking. That includes cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. Tobacco products contain thousands of toxic substances.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Trusted Source, cigarette smokers are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer than nonsmokers. The longer you smoke, the greater the chance of developing lung cancer. Quitting smoking can lower that risk.

Breathing in secondhand smoke is also a major risk factor. Every year in the United States, about 7,300 people who’ve never smoked die from lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.

Exposure to radon, a naturally occurring gas, increases your risk of lung cancer. Radon rises from the ground, entering buildings through small cracks. It’s the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. A simple home test can tell you if the level of radon in your home is hazardous.

Your risk of developing lung cancer is higher if you’re exposed to toxic substances such as asbestos or diesel exhaust in the workplace.

Other risk factors include:

  • family history of lung cancer
  • personal history of lung cancer, especially if you’re a smoker
  • previous radiation therapy to the chest

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Lung cancer - small cell

    

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a fast-growing type of lung cancer. It spreads much more quickly than non-small cell lung cancer.

There are two types of SCLC:

·         Small cell carcinoma (oat cell cancer)

·         Combined small cell carcinoma

Most SCLCs are of the oat cell type.

Causes

About 15% of all lung cancer cases are SCLC. Small cell lung cancer is slightly more common in men than women.

Almost all cases of SCLC are due to cigarette smoking. SCLC is very rare in people who have never smoked.

SCLC is the most aggressive form of lung cancer. It usually starts in the breathing tubes (bronchi) in the center of the chest. Although the cancer cells are small, they grow very quickly and create large tumors. These tumors often spread rapidly (metastasize) to other parts of the body, including the brain, liver, and bone.

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