A 35-year-old member asked:
What causes lung cancer?
8 doctor answers • 18 doctors weighed in
Dr. Thomas Birdasanswered
Thoracic Surgery 28 years experience
Mainly smoking: But a lot of other factors (most of which can nit be altered) may play a role. Over 85% of lung cancers are seen in smokers, so if you would like to decrease your chances of getting lung cancer (and also cardiovascular disease!) quit smoking now!
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5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Matthew Henniganswered
Surgery - Thoracic 21 years experience
Several causes...: But the most common correlation with lung cancer is smoking. Smoking alone will increase your risk of lung cancer by about 20 times by smoking one pack per day for twenty years. Other sources can be genetic (alpha-1 antitrypsin disorder), related to environmental exposures that are inhaled, or other less common reasons.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Gurmukh Singh commented
Pathology 51 years experience
Second hand smoke and radon gas are also causative factors but not as strong as smoking. The other factor is genetic susceptibility.
Aug 13, 2012
Dr. David Cookeanswered
Thoracic Surgery 24 years experience
80% by smoking: Second common cause is radon. Second hand smoke is also common cause of lung cancer.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. David Cookeanswered
Thoracic Surgery 24 years experience
Many things: >80% of lung cancer is caused by smoking. However never smokers (defined as <100 cigarettes in lifetime) can get smoking. Risk factors include radon exposure, second hand smoke, and genetic mutations such as egfr activating mutations. For more info: http://bit.Ly/ygfoko.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Loki Skylizardanswered
Thoracic Surgery 22 years experience
Exposure: Risks of lung cancer: http://goo.Gl/gu9ms as noted by others, number one/major cause is exposure to inhaled carcinogens, particularly combustion/burning products (i.e. Tobacco, marijuana, etc...). Other inhalants are also noted risk factors. Be well and respect yourself.
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5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Byron Mayanswered
33 years experience
Smoking!: Smoke from cigarettes contains approximately 35 known chemicals to cause tumors in lab rats. Smokers have a much higher incidence of lung cancer over the non-smoking population. Asbestos inhalation increases risk for mesothelioma, a very aggressive form of lung cancer. Radon, a radioactive decay product from soil uranium, is thought to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the usa.
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5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
Dr. Raja Mudadanswered
Medical Oncology 34 years experience
SMOKING SMOKING : And smoking
the biggest and most significant risk factor. 90% of lung cancers develop in people who have smoked.
Other causes: asbestos exposure, radon.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
Dr. Loki Skylizardanswered
Thoracic Surgery 22 years experience
Risk factors: Lung cancer is most commonly a long process of years in which the lungs are exposed to damaging substances/"carcinogens". The biggest/best known is smoking. This link may help: http://www.Cancer.Net/cancer-types/lung-cancer/risk-factors-and-prevention.
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5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
Similar questions
A 42-year-old member asked:
How can smoking cause lung cancer?
3 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in
A Verified Doctoranswered
46 years experience
Toxins: Irritation, tar and other hundreds of impurities in the cigarettes.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
What is lung cancer caused by in nonsmoker?
2 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Joseph Woodsanswered
Pathology 30 years experience
Possibly genetic,etc: Nonsmokers account for 15% of lung cancer cases, and these cases are often due to a combination of genetic factors, radon gas, asbestos, and air pollution including secondhand smoke. Asbestos can also cause mesothelioma, a cancer of the pleura or lining on the surface of the lungand diaphragm. The main type of lung cancer in nonsmokers is adenocarcinoma, particularly bronchoalveolar carcinoma.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
San Jose, CA
A 33-year-old male asked:
Can cyanosis be caused by lung cancer? If so, how?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Brenda Sabrina Salgado Granadosanswered
A US doctor answeredLearn more
Cyanosis: Hello. Cyanosis is a physical sign that is characterized by a bluish/purplish coloration of skin or mucous membranes, that is caused because of a low oxygen saturation. So yes, it can be caused by lung cancer, but there are a lot of other pathologies (mainly hearth and lung diseases) that can cause that sign.
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113 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Does hairspray cause lung cancer?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Sewa Leghaanswered
Medical Oncology 52 years experience
No, not really: Hair sprays are considered safe.
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4.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
NJ
A 52-year-old female asked:
Can cigars cause lung cancer?
1 doctor answer • 7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Ed Friedlanderanswered
Pathology 46 years experience
Yes: They're not so deadly as cigarettes because people smoke fewer and the smoke is so disgusting that it's not much inhaled. However, I've autopsied two non-smoking wives of heavy cigar smokers who died of smoker-type lung cancer -- my only non-smoker lung cancer autosies. I'd had to be a husband who had to live with that one.
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3.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Feb 20, 2021
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