How does lung cancer develop, and how fast does it grow?
Researchers and scientists think that lung cancer develops slowly. They believe that 20 or more years pass from the time a person starts inhaling the cancer-producing substance and the time lung cancer actually develops. However, changes in the lung begin almost immediately upon exposure to the carcinogens or cancer-causing substances. With continued exposure, more abnormal cells appear that may be on their way to developing cancer cells.
