What You Didn’t Know Were 4 Top Causes of Lung Cancer

What is Lung Cancer?

Cancer is a disease in which a body's cells grow and multiply out of control. Cancer that begins in the lungs is known as lung cancer. Not all cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking, and smoking does not only cause lung cancer. Here you can find the top 4 causes of lung cancer.

What are the Top Causes of Lung Cancer?

There are many different causes of lung cancer, but there are 4 main ones: cigarette smoking, secondhand smoke, radon, and pollution.

1. Cigarette Smoking

According to the CDC, cigarette smoking is responsible for about 80% to 90% cases of lung cancer deaths in the United States. Upon smoking a tobacco product, a sticky brown substance known as tar forms.

Tar contains chemicals known as carcinogens, or cancer-causing cells. Tar also damages the immune system defenses in our body that are responsible for protecting lungs against disease. 

Tobacco products are not the only cancer-causing smoking products, but vapes and e-cigarettes are relatively new to the scene. This means the long-term risks are mostly unknown, but there are risks. Any substance that you inhale has the potential to be a main cause of lung cancer.

2. Secondhand Smoke

Unfortunately, you don’t have to smoke to be a victim of the effects of tobacco products. Joining your friend during a smoke break and inhaling their cigarette smoke can have a negative effect on your lungs. The CDC states that those who don’t smoke but are around secondhand smoke increase their risk for lung cancer by at least 20% to 30%. 

Next time you’re around smokers, consider stepping away while they get their fix. By stepping away, you significantly decrease your risk of lung cancer by avoiding one of the leading causes.

3. Radon

This may come as a surprise to you, but in the United States, a substance known as radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Unlike cigarette smoke and secondhand smoke, radon is not something people intentionally inhale.

Radon is a gas that is naturally produced by water and soil that can affect the air found in homes and other buildings. It is the cause of more than 10% of non-smoker lung cancer cases.

Unfortunately, radon is something that can’t be entirely avoided because it is colorless, odorless, and naturally occurring. However, introducing more air flow to your home can help decrease contact with radon.

With new buildings, radon-resistant construction plans can be followed to further decrease contact with this cause of lung cancer.

4. Pollution

The 4th most common cause of lung cancer in the United States is pollution. Air pollution, much like radon, is something that isn’t intentionally inhaled. However, with bustling everyday life and increasing industry, pollution becomes more and more common.

9 out of 10 people breathe in air pollution on a daily basis, especially when traveling outside for school or work. Wearing a mask outdoors can help decrease pollution inhalation.

Concluding Your Journey to Learn About the 4 Top Causes of Lung Cancer

After reading about the top causes of lung cancer, you may be wondering about what you can do to decrease your risk of lung cancer. To start, if you’re a smoker, try to cut down on how much you smoke per day.

If you’re a non-smoker, find spaces away from those taking their smoke breaks, keep a fan in your home to increase air flow, and wear a mask when traveling outside.

Freedom to Breathe invites you to write to us below to tell us about your experiences with the top 4 causes of lung cancer.