Lung and Bronchus Risk factors

Cigarette smoking is by far the most important risk factor for lung cancer; risk increases with both quantity and duration of smoking. Cigar and pipe smoking also increase risk. Exposure to radon gas released from soil and building materials is estimated to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in Europe and North America. Other risk factors include occupational or environmental exposure to secondhand smoke,asbestos (particularly among smokers), certain metals (chromium, cadmium, arsenic), some organic chemicals, radiation, air pollution, diesel exhaust, and paint. Additional occupational exposures that increase lung cancer risk include rubber manufacturing, paving, roofing, and chimney sweeping. Risk is also probably increased among people with a medical history of tuberculosis. Genetic susceptibility plays a contributing role in the development of lung cancer, especially in those who develop the disease at a young age.source: American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2013. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013.