Lung Cancer – Causative Factors of Lung Cancer

Lung Cancer accounts for nearly 15% of all cancers. It is growing steadily over the past decades mainly due to changing socio-environmental circumstances such as increased smoking habits and increase in environmental pollution. As the lungs have primary importance to the existence of an individual, the lung cancer invariably causes decrease in the functional output of the affected person. The survival rates are low with lung cancers. Hence prevention is best cure.

Causative Factors of Lung Cancer

Smoking

The first and foremost cause of lung cancer is smoking either active or passive.

More than 4000 carcinogens i.e. cancer producing substances have been found to be present in the cigarette smoke which either cause the cancer or augment it when present. In nearly 80% of the cases smoking is the sole cause of lung cancer.

Passive smoking i.e. inhalation of smoke coming out of someone else’s cigarette’s tip called tip smoke is even worse. In active smoking at least some of the irritants get stuck in the cigarette’s filter but in tip smoke all the carcinogen’s reach the human lungs directly.

The Factors Affecting this are

1> Number of Cigarettes Smoked Per Day

2> Total Duration of Smoking Habit

3> Initial Age at the Start of Smoking

If all the earth’s population gives up smoking, lung cancer will become the rarest form of cancer.

Radiation Exposure

Excessive X ray radiation can cause lung cancer. X rays are high frequency radiations which can cause permanent changes at cellular level which can trigger a cancer growth.

This especially applies to medical personnel that come in contact with repeated x rays such as x ray technicians and radiologists.

Environmental Pollution

Excessive exposure to the environmental pollutants with carcinogenic potential is a known cause of lung cancer. Workers in the manufacturing plants of plastic are at an increased risk of lung cancer as vinyl chloride inhalation is frequent. (PVC plastic is actually Poly Vinyl Chloride a polymer of vinyl chloride.) Workers in the manufacturing plants of asbestos can have lung cancer as inhalation of asbestos particles is a known occupational health hazard. Industrial pollutants such as arsenic and nickel chromate are other known pollutants with carcinogenic potential. Inhalation of radon gas increases the risk of development of lung cancer. This gas is found naturally in soil, rocks and may get irrupted during volcanic eruptions. The risk is significant if the people in such areas inhale this gas frequently.

Check my next article on “Pathological Changes in Lung Cancer“.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for the general public awareness only. The patient is advised to take proper medical opinion before undergoing any treatment mentioned herein. The author and publisher are not responsible for any consequences thereof.