Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the United States, leading to more deaths yearly. Early detection is key to surviving this disease, but many people have no idea they’re at risk. There are five main causes of lung cancer that can increase your chances. A lack of awareness often leads to unnecessary suffering. Below are the five main causes of lung cancer.
1. Smoking
According to the American Cancer Society, cigarette smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. Smokers have a forty percent increased risk of developing a lung tumor. Men are five times more likely to die from lung cancer than women if they smoke.
Also, alcohol and tobacco smoke increase your risk of developing a lung tumor by thirty to fifty percent. Lung cancer most often affects people over sixty-five because it is most prevalent in people between the ages of fifty-five and seventy.
Secondhand smoke can also cause lung cancer due to the poisonous gasses released when someone smokes. Most of these gasses get inhaled by people who are not directly smoking. Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer just as easily as smoking does. It got estimated that secondhand smoke increases your risk of becoming a lung cancer victim by eleven percent.
2. Exposure to Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring compound when uranium breaks down in rocks, soil, and water. Radon gas enters the body through the lungs, and as it leaks into the body, it works through all organs and tissue. If a person has high radon levels in their home or workplace, lung cancer is more likely.
Researchers have found that radon exposure can increase your risk of developing lung cancer by thirty-five percent. Radon inhalation can cause lung cancer and lung tumors in children. It can also damage the protective cell covering in the lungs, allowing cancer-causing substances to leak through and enter the body.
Radon is a common cause of lung cancer in older people who have lived near shale mining areas for long periods. For example, Pennsylvania residents living near the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant are at a higher risk for lung cancer. A government study showed that those living around the power plant had four times more lung cancers than those far away.
3. Asbestos
Asbestos is dangerous to all lung tissue, but smoking makes it much more harmful. If a person smokes and gets exposed to asbestos, the combination can cause lung cancer. Asbestos increases your risk of developing lung cancer by two hundred percent. The greatest danger comes from inhaling asbestos which can cause mesothelioma, as seen from the con edison history.
Mesothelioma is rare cancer that affects the lining of the body’s organs, such as the lungs and stomach. Mesothelioma tumors get found in people who get exposed to asbestos. This disease cannot get eliminated because there are no warning signs or symptoms until they start appearing. It is often fatal, and once cancer has spread, there is little chance of survival.
4. Exposure to Radiation
People who work around nuclear power plants have a greater risk of developing lung cancer than those who do not because of radiation exposure. Many studies have proven exposure to radiation from nuclear power plants to cause lung cancer. Those living near nuclear power plants have an increased risk of developing lung cancer by ten percent.
Radiation exposure can increase your risk of developing lung cancer by more than one hundred percent if you have been exposed regularly over time. Radon and tobacco smoke also increases your risk of developing this disease. Radiation exposure can also cause lung cancer in children and babies. Children’s bodies are still forming, and radiation can damage their lungs as they grow. Radiation exposure has killed many people around nuclear power plants over the years.
5. Occupational Exposure
The most prominent exposure to occupational lung cancer comes from those working in smelting and galvanizing plants. Smelting and galvanizing, which involve sulfur, lead, and other metals, can cause lung cancer due to the hazardous chemicals they produce. People who work in these places have a six to eleven percent increased risk of developing lung cancer as they are exposed constantly.
Those who work in these plants have a one hundred percent increased risk of developing lung cancer if they smoke. Those who do not wear protective clothing or respirators while working around these materials have a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
Manufacturing these materials can cause air pollution, which is extremely powerful when inhaled. When chemicals get added to the air, they become concentrated as they get aerosolized. Coming into contact with aerosols can cause burns to the respiratory system.
you must stop smoking or reduce the amount you smoke to reduce your risk of developing lung cancer. Most of this disease is related to your environment and your daily choices. The best way to prevent it is to avoid carcinogens like smoking.
