LUNG CANCER
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Eighty percent of lung cancers are due
to tobacco smoke. There are over 2,000 known cancer-causing
chemicals in tobacco smoke. Normal human cells change into cancer
cells when exposed to carcinogens (chemicals which cause cancer).
Other well established carcinogens of the lung include radon,
asbestos, bischolomethylether, nickel, chromates, coal tar, copper
radioactive materials and arsenic.
Many occupations have an increased risk for developing lung cancer.
For example, asbestos insulation workers have 92 times the risk of
developing of lung cancer, and smelter workers have 3-8 times the
risk of developing lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer is also
increased in people who work in the manufacturing of certain
industrial gases, pharmaceuticals, soaps and detergents, paints,
inorganic pigments, plastics, and synthetic rubber.
The risk of developing lung cancer is related to the amount of
exposure to the cancer causing agent. For example, the risk of lung
cancer in humans is proportional to the number of cigarettes smoked.
The risk of developing lung cancer is 8-20 times greater in smokers
compared to people who have never smoked. A smaller, but real risk
exists for cigar and pipe smokers. Some cancer causing agents react
together to significantly worsen the risk of developing cancer. The
combined exposure to asbestos and tobacco smoke clearly multiplies
the risk of developing lung cancer.
The risk of lung cancer is greater for those living in urban areas.
This risk is approximately 1.2 to 2.3 times that of people living in
rural areas. There is also an increased risk of lung cancer in
smokers whose close relatives have had lung cancer. Scarring in the
lungs from previous infections or injury can be associated with and
increased risk of cancer. |
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| LUNG CANCER RELATED ITEMS |
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