Lung Cancer Prevention

What’s worse is that the majority of lung cancers are avoidable, as there are ways to prevent lung cancer. In fact, about 80% of lung cancer cases are directly attributable to smoking. Therefore, the No. 1 piece of advice for how to avoid lung cancer is never to smoke. Of course, there are other risk factors as well.

The following risk factors can affect your chances of developing cancer.

• Smoking. People who smoke tobacco products are at far greater risk of developing lung cancer than nonsmokers. And the effects are cumulative. The more cigarettes you smoke and the longer you smoke, the higher your risk. And, yes, cigars and pipe tobacco are nearly as dangerous as cigarettes. The same goes for “light” and flavored cigarettes.
• Secondhand smoke. Even if you yourself don’t smoke, exposure to secondhand smoke also increases your risk for lung cancer. People who live or have lived with someone who smokes are most at risk.
• Radon exposure. Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that’s naturally found in the soil. Living in a house or spending a lot of time in a building, such as a school or office, located in a high-radon area increases your risk for lung cancer. Radon exposure is the number-one cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers.
• Asbestos exposure. People who work around asbestos, including in mines, mills, textile plants and other places, are at greater risk of dying from lung cancer than those who are not exposed to asbestos. While government regulation has greatly reduced the use of asbestos, it still exists in older homes and buildings where it continues to pose a risk to some.
• Exposure to other gases and chemicals. People who work around diesel gas, uranium and inhaled chemicals such as arsenic, beryllium, vinyl chloride, coal products and others are at increased risk for lung cancer.
• Air pollution. About 5% of all lung cancers can be attributed to outdoor air pollution, mostly affecting those in heavily trafficked areas.
• Personal history of lung cancer. Being diagnosed with lung cancer once makes someone more likely to have it again.
• Family history of lung cancer. Apart from living with family members who smoke, having a first-degree relative (mother, father, sister, brother, child) only slightly raises the risk of developing the disease. The risk, however, is higher if the relative was diagnosed at a young age.

Research is still being done to identify other possible lung cancer risks, particularly with regard to marijuana usage, vaping and the use of talcum powder. It’s best to avoid these behaviors until we know definitively whether or not they affect lung cancer risk.

Most lung cancers can be avoided by not smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco. But there are other ways to prevent lung cancer as well.

• Avoid secondhand smoke as much as possible. Urge anyone who lives with you to quit.
• Have your home tested for radon. The concentration of radon in the earth varies greatly from place to place, sometimes even within the same neighborhood.
• Limit exposure to cancer-causing gases and chemicals.
• Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

While Winship is at the forefront of researching new and better treatments for lung cancer, our scientists also are dedicated to learning more about how to prevent lung cancer. Winship researchers are currently working with the National Cancer Institute to develop a trial aimed at lung cancer prevention in high-risk patients.