PT Health Life – Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Understanding the risk factors for lung cancer can help you take preventative measures to reduce your risk of the disease.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in both men and women. There are more deaths from lung cancer than from prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer combined.
Anyone can be at risk of lung cancer. Lung cancer occurs when cells in the lungs mutate or change. There are many different factors that can cause this mutation.
It is worth mentioning that lung cancer patients are often detected at a late stage, affecting treatment results and leading to death.
1. What causes lung cancer?
Currently, the exact cause of lung cancer is still unknown. However, several risk factors have been shown to contribute to cells becoming malignant.
Risk factors for lung cancer include smoking , exposure to air pollution, and genetics.
1.1 Smoking causes lung cancer
The main cause of lung cancer in men and women is smoking. Currently, about 90% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Radon gas, pollution, toxins and other factors contribute to the remaining 10%.
Cigarettes and tobacco smoke contain more than 70 cancer-causing chemicals . Some carcinogens found in cigarette smoke include: lead (an extremely toxic metal), arsenic (a chemical found in pesticides), cadmium (a component in batteries), isoprene ( used to produce synthetic rubber), benzene (petroleum additive).
Cigar smoke is high in tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA), which are considered particularly carcinogenic.
Cigarette smoke damages and kills hair-like cells on the cells of the airways. They are called cilia. Cilia typically sweep out toxins, carcinogens, viruses, and bacteria. When cilia are damaged or destroyed by cigarette smoke, all of this can build up in the lungs and cause problems such as infections and lung cancer.
1.2 Inhaling passive smoke also causes lung cancer
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smokers are 15-30 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers. However, people who inhale cigarette smoke regularly also develop lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.
A non-smoker (wife, children, others) living with a smoker has a 20-30% increased risk of developing lung cancer due to exposure to environmental smoke levels.
1.3 Lung cancer and radon gas
Radon gas is the second cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke. Radon gas is a naturally occurring substance. It penetrates the ground and diffuses into the air. Everyone breathes radon every day, but usually at very low rates. However, people who breathe high concentrations of radon are at risk of lung cancer. Radon can enter the home through cracks in the floor, walls or foundation. It is colorless and odorless but can be detected with relatively simple and inexpensive test kits. Smokers exposed to this gas have a higher risk of developing lung cancer than non-smokers.
1.4 Lung cancer and work environmental exposure
Although smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, other compounds and chemicals can also increase the risk of lung cancer.
For some people, the workplace can be a source of exposure to carcinogens such as asbestos and diesel exhaust.
Agents such as asbestos, uranium, arsenic , benzene, and many others increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer (mesothelioma) many years after initial exposure, so people may be at risk of lung disease for decades (10 – 40 years).
1.5 Lung cancer and air pollution
Some investigators suggest that air pollution contributes to the development of lung cancer. Some studies present data suggesting that airborne pollutants such as diesel exhaust may predispose some people to lung cancer. Researchers estimate that about 5% of lung cancer cases are caused by air pollutants.
1.6 Some factors increase the risk of lung cancer
Genetic factors may also play a role in the likelihood of developing lung cancer. A family history of lung cancer means you are at higher risk of getting the disease.
Although there has been much research on lung cancer, there are still many unclear situations. There are cases of lung cancer in multiple generations in the same family even though there are no obvious risk factors. That shows that lung cancer may be hereditary.
In addition, some studies show that drinking water with high arsenic concentrations can increase the risk of lung cancer.
2. Lung cancer symptoms
Lung cancer often has no initial symptoms or the initial symptoms are non-specific so they are easy to ignore. About 25% of people with asymptomatic lung cancer are diagnosed after a chest X-ray or CT scan during a routine checkup or during examination for other conditions.
If you are a smoker or live in a smoky environment or have a family member with cancer, pay attention to symptoms of lung cancer, including: chronic, recurring cough, persistent fatigue. clear cause, unusual weight loss, difficulty breathing or wheezing, cough with lots of bloody phlegm, chest pain,…
3. Lung cancer prevention
The disease is difficult to detect in its early stages, and treatments for late-stage lung cancer carry a poor prognosis. Therefore, preventing risk factors early is very important.
Lung cancer can be prevented if a person never smokes and avoids secondhand smoke.
For those who already smoke, they should quit smoking. Studies show that quitting smoking within 10 years reduces the risk of lung cancer equivalent to people who have never smoked.
If you have to work in an environment with toxic substances that increase the risk of lung cancer, take safety measures to protect yourself from exposure to them.
Avoiding other risk factors (for example, certain chemicals or compounds such as benzene or asbestos or air pollution) can also prevent lung cancer.
Follow a healthy lifestyle, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and reduce red and processed meats. These types of meat have been shown to increase the risk of cancer, including lung cancer.
Get regular health check-ups and monitor any unusual symptoms on your body to promptly notify your doctor, especially if you are in a high-risk group .
