Lung Cancer, Smoking: The Perpetual Link When the conversation turns to lung cancer, smoking cannot be far behind. With over 150,000 Americans dieing annually due to primary or secondary cancers of the lungs, most people have someone in their life that they have lost to this disease. One of the primary contributing lifestyle risk factors [...]
Causes of Lung Cancer
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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in many countries, including the United States. It is a major health problem with a grim prognosis. The predisposing factors that can lead to lung cancer development include increasing age (over age 65), and heredity. Among the precipitating factors that contribute to its development, cigarette smoking is the most significant. Cigarette smoke has known chemical carcinogens and cancer promoters that damage the lung cell and mutate cancer fighting processes in the body. Exposure to ionizing radiation and inhaled irritants, asbestos and radon in particular, are also known risk factors for this type of cancer.