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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Living With Cancer

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A number of factors may increase your risk of lung cancer. Some risk factors can be controlled, for instance, by quitting smoking. And other factors can't be controlled, such as your family history. Risk factors for lung cancer include:

  • Smoking. Smoking remains the greatest risk factor for lung cancer. Your risk of lung cancer increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke each day and the number of years you have smoked. Quitting at any age can significantly lower your risk of developing lung cancer.
  • Exposure to secondhand smoke. Even if you don't smoke, your risk of lung cancer increases if you're exposed to secondhand smoke.
  • Exposure to radon gas. Radon is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water that eventually becomes part of the air you breathe. Unsafe levels of radon can accumulate in any building, including homes. Radon testing kits, which can be purchased at home improvement stores, can determine whether levels are safe. If unsafe levels are discovered, remedies are available.
  • Exposure to asbestos and other chemicals. Workplace exposure to asbestos and other substances known to cause cancer — such as arsenic, chromium and nickel — also can increase your risk of developing lung cancer, especially if you're a smoker.
  • Family history of lung cancer. People with a parent, sibling or child with lung cancer have an increased risk of the disease.
  • Excessive alcohol use. Drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol — no more than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men — may increase your risk of lung cancer.
  • Certain smoking-related lung diseases. Smokers with certain lung diseases, such as emphysema, may have an increased risk of lung cancer.
Complications Causes
References
  1. Non-small cell lung cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed Oct. 12, 2011.
  2. Estimated new cancer cases and deaths by sex for all sites, US, 2011. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-029817.pdf. Accessed Oct. 12, 2011.
  3. Small cell lung cancer. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/f_guidelines.asp. Accessed Oct. 12, 2011.
  4. Johnson DH, et al. Cancer of the lung: Non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008:1307.
  5. What you need to know about lung cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/lung/AllPages. Accessed Oct. 7, 2011.
  6. Lung cancer prevention (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/lung/Patient/AllPages. Accessed Oct. 7, 2011.
  7. Aberle DR, et al. Reduced lung-cancer mortality with low-dose computed tomographic screening. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2011;365:395.
  8. Greaves SM, et al. The new staging system for lung cancer: Imaging and clinical implications. Journal of Thoracic Imaging. 2011;26:119.
  9. Xalkori (prescribing information). New York, N.Y.: Pfizer Labs; 2011. www.pfizerpro.com/Xalkori. Accessed Oct. 14, 2011.
  10. Avastin (prescribing information). South San Francisco, Calif.: Genentech Inc.; 2011. http://www.avastin.com/avastin/hcp/index.html. Accessed Oct. 14, 2011.
  11. Tarceva (prescribing information). Melville, N.Y.: OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc.; 2011. http://www.tarceva.com/patient/considering/index.jsp. Accessed Oct. 14, 2011.
  12. Kvale PA, et al. Palliative care in lung cancer. Chest. 2007;132(suppl):368S.
  13. Cassileth BR, et al. Complementary therapies and integrative oncology in lung cancer. Chest. 2007:132(suppl):340S.
  14. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=stereotactic. Accessed Oct. 14, 2011.
  15. Temel JS, et al. Early palliative care for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2010;363:733.
  16. Li Y, et al. Effect of emphysema on lung cancer risk in smokers: A computed tomography-based assessment. Cancer Prevention Research. 2010;4:53.
  17. Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 19, 2011.
  18. 2008 physical activity guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/default.aspx. Accessed Nov. 8, 2011.
DS00038 April 17, 2012

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