What are the risk factors for developing lung cancer?
A. By far, smoking tobacco causes most lung cancers. Tobacco smoke has many carcinogens – substances that damage cells. The risk of lung cancer begins to slowly decrease as soon as a person quits smoking. Although smoking is without question the major cause of lung cancer, there are some other causes as well. Passive smoking is one. Exposure to other carcinogens, such as asbestos, is another. Tuberculosis (TB) can increase the risk. Exposure to high levels of radon may also increase the risk – especially for smokers. (Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is emitted by decaying uranium in rocks and soil.) Recent studies have shown that genetic factors may also have a role in determining lung cancer risk.
