It is the second most common cancer affecting both men and women. Approximately 13% of all new cancers are lung cancers. Most people diagnosed with lung cancer are 65 years or older; a very small number of individuals diagnosed are under 45 years old.1
Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer-related death among men and women, accounting for nearly 25% of all cancer deaths. If lung cancer is discovered at an earlier stage (when it is small and before it has spread outside the lungs), it is more likely to be effectively treated.1,2
There are several risk factors that can increase your chances of developing lung cancer.
lung cancer. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be changed. Other factors, such as age or family history, cannot be changed,
such as age or family history, cannot be changed.1-3
• Smoking
• Secondhand Smoke Exposure (Passive Smoking)
• Radon Gas Exposure found in mines, caves, or water treatment plants.
• Asbestos Exposure, also known as asbestos. This material is found in fiber cement and insulating materials.
• Exposure to other lung-affecting carcinogenic substances such as mustard gas and chromium.
• Arsenic in Drinking Water.
• Personal or Family History of Lung Cancer.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
The cancer can be either localized, which is when it has not spread outside the lung, or metastatic, which is when cancer cells travel through the blood or lymph to other organs and tissues such as bone, liver, brain, or adrenal glands.