Causes and Risk Factors of Lung Cancer

Summary: Lung cancer has a few main causes, and smoking is by far the biggest. In fact, smoking causes up to 90% of lung cancer cases because cigarettes contain thousands of harmful chemicals that damage your DNA. But even if you don't smoke, breathing in secondhand smoke from others is dangerous and causes thousands of deaths each year.

Other hidden dangers include an invisible gas called radon and an old building material called asbestos, which can both hide in homes and workplaces. Sometimes, lung cancer is also passed down through family genes. People over 65, men, and those living in rural areas have a higher risk of getting the disease.

For more details, see health at health.com/lung-cancer-causes-6890009 (opens in new tab)