One of the primary causes of lung cancer is smoking tobacco. The higher the duration and quantity of smoking, the higher the chances of developing lung cancer. In fact, it has been observed that about 10-20 percent of all smokers end up developing lung cancer. Even though nonsmokers also do get lung cancer, smokers are far more susceptible to it.
Once a person gives up smoking, it takes about 15 years for his/her chances of developing lung cancer to be come equivalent to that of a nonsmoker.
A few cases of lung cancers are caused by the substances breathed in or encountered at the workplace. For example, working with radiation, asbestos, chromates, arsenic, chloromethyl ethers, nickel, mustard gas, and emissions of coke ovens have been linked to some lung cancer cases. The chances of developing lung cancer are much higher in people who smoke and are also exposed to the above substances. Sometimes, certain types of lung cancers, particularly alveolar cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, occur in people whose lungs have been affected by other diseases of the lungs, like fibrosis and tuberculosis. Radon gas exposure in the home can also cause lung cancer, although it’s in less than one percent of the cases.
Genetics and environmental pollution are also factors that are linked to lung cancer developing.
Tobacco smoke is the primary cause of lung cancer. Although nonsmokers can get lung cancer, the risk is about 10 times greater for smokers and is also increased by the number of cigarettes smoked per day.
If you are a heavy smoker consuming more than 20 cigarettes a day, the risk of developing lung cancer is about 30 to 40 times higher than if you don't smoke.
The main reason for the substantial increase in the disease over the last 50 years has been the increase in the number of people who smoke cigarettes. This has resulted from the industrial production and marketing of tobacco.
The risk of lung cancer in an ex-smoker falls to the same level as a nonsmoker after about 15 years.
