Some common risk factors for lung cancer

Friday, Sep 11,2009, 3:10:38 PM Click:

Some common risk factors for lung cancer are:

Radon
According to EPA, exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the leading cause of non-smokers. Radon is a radioactive gas of natural origin that people can not see, smell or taste. Radon forms from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rocks, and some parts of the country with deposits of natural uranium are more likely to have elevated levels of radon indoors (especially in basements). Outdoor radon levels are so low that exposure does not present a threat, but the levels of the procedure may become more concentrated and dangerous.

Smokers who have been exposed to radon have a greater risk of developing lung cancer than smokers who were never exposed to radon. The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA strongly encourage homeowners to test their homes for radon. Good test kits for radon are available through the National Security Council in calling on the Council Radon Hotline at (800) 767-7236.

Smoking
Undoubtedly, smoking is by far the leading risk factor for developing all forms of lung cancer. Both cigar and pipe are almost as likely to cause lung cancer than smoking cigarettes. Even smoking "light" cigarettes and low tar does not reduce the risk of a smoker developing lung cancer. Lung cancer is a rare disease in the early twentieth century, but with the advent of manufactured cigarettes, lung cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

Other carcinogens in the workplace
Apart from asbestos, there are other carcinogens in the workplace across the country who are known to increase the risk of developing lung cancer:

Radioactive ores like uranium
Inhalation of chemicals such as beryllium, cadmium, chloromethyl ethers, chromium compounds, coal products, mustard gas, nickel compounds and vinyl chloride
Diesel.

Asbestos
The medical literature dating back to the mid-1930s may have shown that exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer and asbestosis (a progressive lung disease) and mesothelioma (the most common form of cancer caused by asbestos). A study published in 2001, which analyzed the excess risk of lung cancer due to occupational and environmental causes, has found as much as 4 percent of all lung cancers diagnosed each year in the United States are attributable to the exposure to asbestos. A 1996 study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analyzed 20 studies of cohorts exposed to asbestos as part of an evaluation of occupational lung cancer. NIOSH found the combined relative risk of developing lung cancer among people exposed to asbestos has been twice that of the unexposed population. In other words, people who are exposed to asbestos are twice as likely to develop lung cancer than those who were never exposed.