Know the Risks

Risk factors for lung cancer:

• Smoking (including secondhand smoke) 

  • Responsible for 80-90% of cancer deaths 

  • 10% to 20% of lung cancers happen in people who never smoked or smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.

• Radon

  • Number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers

• Hazardous chemical exposure

  • Such as asbestos, uranium, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel and some petroleum products​

• Particulate pollution

• Genetic factors

• Previous radiation therapy to lungs 

Sources cited in this section:

• https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/prevention.html

• https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/lung-cancer/basics/what-causes-lung-cancer

• https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/chronic/cancer/lung-cancer.php

• https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/patient/lung-prevention-pdq