Lung cancer is the most deadly of all cancers in the United States. In the US in 2007, 203,536 were diagnosed with the disease, and about 78% of them-158,583-died. Because of the large number of people making efforts to quit smoking over the last few decades, this number actually shows a huge decrease, percentage-wise, from years past. Lung cancer deaths in men decrease 2% every year between 1994 and 2006. Deaths from lung cancer in women are at the highest percentage in the world, and decreases in smoking rates among US women began later than in men. The number of lung cancer deaths in women remained constant between 2003 and 2006. Learn what most commonly causes cancer and take charge of your own risk factors.

4) Diet
While other factors have been shown to have a much clearer correlation with the development of lung cancers, diet can certainly contribute to the risks. The CDC believes that diets high in cholesterol increase a person's chances of getting lung cancer, and excessive consumption of alcohol may also play a role. However, it can be difficult to separate the risks associated with alcohol from the risks of cigarette smoking, because many smokers also drink and vice versa. The same confusion arises when looking at foods believe to decrease the risk of developing cancer-since smokers on average have unhealthier diets than do nonsmokers, it's difficult to accurately conclude whether diets high in fruits and vegetables do truly reduce risk.

3) Family History
The risk of lung cancer seems to increase if parents, siblings, or children of a person have had lung cancer. Genetics are not the only factor in play with this cause. Family members frequently have shared behaviors-just as all members of a family may like to watch golf, sometimes family members have other habits in common, such as smoking. Proximity is also a factor-secondhand smoke, radon or asbestos may be present in the home that all these relatives share. There is also evidence to suggest that certain gene patterns place individuals at a higher risk for some types of cancer.

2) Environmental Factors at Work and Home
There are a few types of hazardous materials, which are often present in homes and workplaces, that may pose an increased risk for developing lung cancer. Asbestos, a fibrous mineral, is often found in building materials within older buildings, and also in car brakes. It's been found to cause lung cancer and also further increases the risk of cancer in smokers.

Arsenic, which is incidentally sometimes used in cancer treatment, can be found in rocks and dirt as well as in pesticides. It puts those exposed at an elevated risk for developing cancer. Silica and chromium are other common household and workplace compounds known to be carcinogenic. Perhaps the worst of these is radon gas, which comes from rocks and dirt that may be tracked into buildings, is a known carcinogen. Radon causes an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths yearly, and is the leading cause of fatal lung cancer in non-smokers. There are 2,900 non-smokers killed by lung cancer from radon annually. It is the second highest cause of cancer.

1) Cigarettes and Secondhand Smoke
It's no secret that smoking is a health hazard, and it's also not new information. Skeptical? The very first sentence about smoking on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's web page about lung cancer reads, "Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer." 80% of women and 90% of men who die of lung cancer developed it due to smoking. The likelihood of developing lung cancer and dying from it due to smoking increases with each day and each cigarette, and quitting can greatly reduce your risk-although those who have never smoked will still be at a much lower risk for developing lung cancer than a former smoker. However, being around smokers still puts you at risk. About 3,000 people die annually from exposure to secondhand smoke. Other methods of tobacco inhalation, such as cigars and pipes, also greatly contribute to the development of lung cancer-but cigarettes are the worst culprit of these.

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/statistics/index.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/statistics/trends.htm
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/lung/Patient/page3#Keypoint18
http://www.epa.gov/radon/healthrisks.html
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/glossary.htm#asbestos
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/glossary.htm#arsenic

Author Bio:

Lawrence Reaves writes about pleural thickening as a result of asbestos exposure. He gets his ideas and inspiration from asbestosnews.com.