Lung Cancer Prevention Guidelines
Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in America for both men and
women. In fact, more people die from lung cancer than colon, rectum, breast
and prostate cancers combined.
Risk Factors
Some lung cancer risk factors, such as a person's age, can't be
changed. Other lung cancer risk factors, such as smoking, can be controlled.
Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer. More than 8 out of 10
lung cancers are thought to result from smoking. However, 2 out of 10
are not related to smoking. How long a person has smoked and the number
of cigarettes smoked per day, affect the likelihood that a smoker will
develop lung cancer. Other risk factors for lung cancer include exposure
to secondhand smoke, radon, asbestos and certain air pollutants. Certain
lung diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease (COPD), increase a person's chance for developing lung cancer.
For more information on how to quit smoking,
click here.