During the early part of the last century, the popularity of cigarette smoking underwent explosive growth among men. Two decades later, women joined the ranks of habitual smokers in droves. Today, lung cancer claims nearly 150,000 lives each year; eighty percent of cases are directly attributed to cigarettes. Despite it’s deadly nature, you can avoid this disease by taking necessary precautions. Learning some simple health facts can make all the difference in the world

While smoking is the leading cause of the disease, there are other, less prevalent causes. In this article, we’ll describe a few of them in detail, beginning with habitual smoking and continuing with secondary smoke, and exposure to other elements.

Habitual Smoking

Doctors measure the risk that a patient might develop lung cancer by considering two variables. They want to know how many packs a patient typically smokes per day and how many years the patient has indulged the habit. The larger the number, the more risk of the disease manifesting. Despite what a lot of smokers believe, cigars and pipes also present a risk (albeit much lower).

Smoke from a cigarette includes 1000’s of chemicals. Some of them, like nitrosamines, are known to be carcinogenic. Over time and exposure, these chemical compounds attack and damage the bronchi, and lead to malignant tumors. The disease spreads as the cancer cells attack the heart, causing it to enlarge.

Secondary Smoke

Many people mistakenly believe that inhaling secondhand smoke does not represent a risk of developing lung cancer. In fact, it does. Thousands of people in the U.S. die each year from developing the disease after constant exposure to secondhand smoke. A person whop doesn’t smoke themselves but is lives with an habitual smokes is also 24% more likely to contract the disease.

Exposure To Asbestos

Years ago, asbestos was used liberally within houses, apartments, and office buildings in order to insulate them. Unfortunately, while it provides effective insulation, asbestos also damages the tissue within the lungs. With increased time and exposure, the damage can lead to cancer. Further, asbestos significantly increases the likelihood of a smoker developing the disease. For example, a non-smoker who works with the material is 5 times more likely to be affected than someone who does not work with it. In contrast, one working with asbestos and being a smoker is 90 times more likely.

Other Risk Factors

There are other risk factors besides those mentioned above. For example, people who are exposed to radon gas, arsenic, nickel, and chloromethyl ethers on a regular basis run the risk of developing lung cancer. Genetics also plays an important role. A person is more likely to have the disease if an immediate family member has also been diagnosed in the past.

Once diagnosed, a doctor will recommend a number of possible treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery. If the disease is identified early enough, it is possible for the doctor to treat it successfully and for the patient to enjoy a long, healthy life. Read more other articles about cryotherapy for prostate cancer and cryosurgery for prostate cancer.

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