Risk factors are anything that increases a person’s risk in developing a disease. In lung cancer, the known factors are:

• Smoking 

  â—¦ This is the cause of the large majority(90%) of lung cancer.
  â—¦ The risk of cancer increases with the number of cigarettes one smokes each day and the number
    of years of smoking and earlier age at smoking onset.
  â—¦ Increasing tar contents or use of non filtered cigarettes also increases the risk of lung cancer in
    smokers.

• Exposure to chemicals at workplace

  â—¦ Those who are exposed to chemicals such as asbestos, nickel, arsenic and radon gas in the
    workplace are at increased risk.

• Family & personal history

  â—¦ People with first-degree relative (parent, siblings or child) with lung cancer have doubled risk.
    Hereditary lung cancer risk is higher in women, non smokers and those with lung cancer that occur
    before the age of 60.

• Passive smoking

  â—¦ Even if you don’t smoke, your risk of lung cancer increases if you are exposed to ‘second hand
    smoke’. Evidence suggests that passive smoking leads to increased risk if a partner smokes 20
    cigarettes per day or more.

Updated:: 14/03/2019 []