Do only smokers get lung cancer?
Smoking is by far the leading risk factor for lung cancer, but smokers are not the only people who get lung cancer. In fact, 10 to 15 percent of all lung cancer patients have never smoked — such as Christopher Reeve’s widow, Dana. Other risk factors include age, family history and repeated exposure to asbestos or radon. People who don’t smoke but who regularly breathe the smoke of others (secondhand smoke) also have a higher risk of lung cancer. Unlike age and family history, smoking — whether cigarettes, cigars or pipes — is a risk factor that can be controlled. The more a person smokes, and the longer he or she has been smoking, the greater the risk. Quitting smoking at any age lowers the risk of lung cancer. What are the signs and symptoms? • A persistent cough or a change in your current cough • Coughing up blood (see a physician immediately) • Chest pain (see a physician immediately) • Hoarseness • Weight loss and/or loss of appetite • Bloody or rust colored sputum (spit or phlegm
