Causes of Lung Cancer and Lung Cancer Prevention :

ON THIS PAGE: Causes of Lung Cancer | Lung Cancer Prevention

Causes of Lung Cancer

The cause of lung cancer depends upon a variety of factors such as smoking, radon exposure, occupational hazard such as exposure to carcinogens - asbestos particles (Mesothelioma).

Each year in USA , do you know losing its 170,000 citizens mainly because of lung cancer? World census confirms that 3.5 million people per year have been the victims for lung cancer.

The cause of lung cancer depends upon various factors such as smoking, radon exposure, occupational hazard such as exposure to carcinogens - asbestos particles (Mesothelioma). Among all these reasons, Cigarette smoke, with carcinogens at its high concentration, inhaled by both smokers and nonsmokers is the foremost cause of lung cancer.

The other causes of lung cancer include family or personal history of lung cancer and exposure to cancer causing agent in the work place.

The Common risk factors are explained as follows:

Cigarette Smoking

Cigarette smoking is most closely correlated cause of lung cancer. In each day, one in seven persons have a chance of dying of lung cancer, when they smoke two or more packs of cigarettes. A person who smokes a pipe or cigar has a five times greater chance of developing lung cancer than a non-smoker.

The increase in number of cigarettes over your life time also increases the risk of developing lung cancer. Cells in your lungs will damage due to your cigarette smoking. The instant you stop smoking, your lungs begin healing themselves, replacing damaged cells with healthy, normal cells.

Secondhand Smoke

Also familiar as passive smoking, people exposed to secondhand smoke on a regular basis even if they don’t smoke themselves also have a greater risk of developing lung cancer.

Studies have also confirmed that in contrast with most non-smokers, those who live with a smoker have a 24% greater risk of developing lung cancer. The estimation of lung cancer deaths by Doctors in relation to secondhand smoke is about 3000.

Exposure to Asbestos

Exposure to asbestos is another renowned cause of lung cancer and mesothelioma – cancer of the pleural lining of the lungs. In between late 1800s and 1960s, Asbestos was widely used in construction and everyday products.

Asbestos separates into fine silica fibers that become trapped in the tissues of the lungs. Mesothelioma is inextricably linked to asbestos exposure. In people, who were not exposed to asbestos, there are no reported cases of mesothelioma either in the workplace or through their environment.

A non-smoking person, who was exposed to asbestos, has a five times greater risk of developing lung cancer than a non-smoker who was not exposed.

Radon Gas

Radon Gas, a colorless, odorless gas is a natural byproduct of the decay of uranium. It’s estimated that about 12% of lung cancer deaths can be attributed to it.

The indoor radon is more risk than outdoor radon. Hence the houses built on uranium rich soil developed high rate of indoor radon, which is a main cause of lung cancer in that area. Nowadays the government totally stopped the usage of asbestos in industrial and commercial products.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that as many as 15% of homes in the United States have unsafe levels of radon gas, which will account for 15,000 to 22,000 deaths from lung cancer annually.

Air Pollution

With Air Pollution, as per estimates of the Scientists, as many as 1% of all lung cancer deaths are occurring. They believe that delayed exposure to polluted air can raise the risks of developing lung cancer to equivalent to levels of a passive smoker.

Carcinogens

There are other carcinogens present in the workplace act as a main cause of lung cancer. The causes of lung cancer includes fuels such as gasoline, diesel exhaust, mustard gas, inhaled minerals or chemicals such as arsenic, vinyl chloride, coal products, beryllium, nickel chromates, etc.,

Marijuana

One of the considerable causes of lung cancer is Marijuana. Marijuana contains high percentage of tar than cigarettes. Marijuana has been inhaled deeply and kept in the lungs for a long time and in similar to tobacco contains tumor-causing substances. Not only Marijuana is causing lung cancer but also throat and mouth cancer.

DNA Cells

Of late, the scientists have found the relation between causes of lung cancer and modification of the DNA of cells in the lungs. The DNA, genetic material usually carries the instruction to the cells what they should do.

The DNA mutations are the main genetic cause of lung cancer that either activates oncogenes (Genes that promote cell division) or inactivates tumor suppressor genes (Genes that slow down cell division or cause cells to die at the appropriate time). There may be proliferation of cells, which is uncontrollable and finally lead to lung cancer due to the DNA mutation.

Lung Cancer Prevention

Lung Cancer Prevention is the best way to reduce your chances of developing Lung Cancer and the prevention methods are:

1. Give up smoking - the sooner the better
2. Keep Away from Second Hand Smoke
3. Keep Away from Carcinogenic Substances
4. Keep Away from asbestos, radon, and similar substances
5. Keep Away from excessive pollution
6. Keep Away from Harmful Diseases

Stop smoking - the sooner the better!

Reducing your smoking is better lung cancer prevention than nothing, but the best option is to stop smoking in total. There is a recent research that signifies whether changing to “low tar” and “low nicotine” cigarettes have little, if any, affect on improving the health prospects of a smoker.

Miserably, it appears another generation of smokers believing these “lighter” cigarettes are more “healthy” than the “heavier” cigarettes, have been deceived by profit hungry tobacco companies. The best way to prevent lung cancer and a range of other severe health complications is to stop smoking, or better yet, never start smoking in the first place.

For Lung Cancer Prevention, there by, for people to improve their prospects for a healthy future, the sooner they quit smoking the better for them. It’s never too late to benefit from quitting, even if someone has been smoking for many years.

Keep Away from Second Hand Smoke

Since the lungs of the passive smokers are becoming unfiltered due to the smoke, they may be more likely than smokers to develop lung cancer and other health issues. Such Passive Smoking is also known as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) or second-hand smoke.

In many other places in the world including Europe, USA, UK, Australia, to reduce people’s exposure to second-hand smoke by banning smoking on or near restaurants, bars, work places, airline flights, trains, buses etc. significant steps have been taken in recent times. As other countries follow suit, the health problems and health costs caused by passive smoking should be greatly reduced.

Keep Away from excessive pollution

It is highly unlikely that traffic exhaust, pollution from factories and industries, and so on will ever improve your health. Indeed, there is mounting evidence that exposure to smoke and other by products.

Keep Away from Asbestos, Radon, and Similar Substances

Keeping away from these is good for your health, since these substances have all been linked to lung cancer and other serious health issues. In order to allow people to gauge radon levels in their homes, most hardware stores sell an easy to use and inexpensive Radon Detection kit.

This allows people to remove the Radon by identifying any Radon related issues in their homes and take remedial action. Once the radon is removed, the hazard is gone for good.

To found out the existence of asbestos in your house or building, , you can enlist the services of a licensed professional asbestos inspector. They will complete a thorough inspection and provide recommendations and, if your building contains no asbestos, issue an Asbestos Clearance Certificate.

Keep Away from Carcinogenic Substances

At any cost, it is best to avoid all contact with these, since these are definitely known to cause cancer. In tobacco and cigarettes, banned carcinogenic substances have been found.

In addition, there have been numerous cases where carcinogenic substances and banned carcinogenic substances have been found in food products from 3rd world countries.

Keep Away from harmful diseases, such as Tuberculosis (TB)

Or, if there is a chance that you could develop these diseases, then make sure that you are vaccinated against them. Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) is a type of bacteria that is used in cancer treatment to stimulate the immune system. It is also used to vaccinate against tuberculosis.