There are a number of causes which could result in lung cancer but the main ones are smoking and passive smoking. This is why the condition affects more men than women though with the number of women smokers going up, there are a lot more women who are succumbing to this too. The sad thing is, every person who smokes is putting so many around him at risk as well.
There are a few other causes as well which are responsible for lung cancer. One of them is asbestos and the cancer that results from inhaling a lot of this dust is called mesothelioma and it affects the pleural membrane which covers the lungs. Unfortunately, a few decades ago, many were unaware of the dangers of asbestos and many workers were affected with this kind of lung cancer. However, even when the dangers of asbestos were exposed, many employers chose to ignore the health hazard warnings and continued to subject their employees to this poisonous material. Today, there are a number of specialized mesothelioma lawyers all over America fighting cases of negligence for their clients. The condition can also come about due to inhaling other poisonous substances as well and this could be at the workplace or in heavily polluted places. One such gas that is very dangerous is Radon gas which is a product of uranium and exposure to it can increase the risk of lung cancer. There is also a small risk of lung cancer for people who work with radioactive substances so this can even include areas like X-ray rooms and CT scan machines.
Both smoking pipes as well as cigarettes are bad news when it concerns the probability of lung cancer. Tobacco smoke contains carcinogens which cause the cells to malfunction and cause cancer – so day after day of cigarette smoke polluting the lungs leads to this condition. The two main carcinogens in tobacco that are responsible for the problem are the nitrosamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Smoking every day for ten, twenty or more years makes the risk of the incidence of lung cancer increase drastically. What will count is for how long the person has smoked, how many cigarettes a day he smokes and at what age he began smoking. If a smoker stops smoking, the risk decreases over the years. The same for passive smokers especially if they live with smokers or work in close proximity to them. While it may not be as much as a risk as smokers, it still means the chances of them getting lung cancer are high.
Besides these factors, what is also a cause of lung cancer is the genetic make up of a person. People who have a family history of lung cancer could be more at risk than others. Environmental pollution could also cause lung cancer when the air contains poisonous substances in suspension which are breathed in and settle in the lungs. Some lung diseases can also increase the incidence of lung cancer. Certain viral infections can weaken the lungs and make the environment toxic so cancer causing cells grow and multiply.