How Do You Get Lung Cancer If You Never Smoked?

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  1. COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
  2. Pneumonia (inflammation in the lung due to viral infection).
  3. Silicosis, a condition occurs due excessive exposure to crystalline silica for many years.

For more information about the link between previous lung diseases and the risk of lung cancer, see this post!

A family history of the same condition

If you have a family member (especially for first degree relative such as parent, brother, or sisters) with lung cancer, this can increase your risk of developing the same problem!

In fact, the occurrence of lung cancer in families with the same condition is quite common, too. There is nothing you can do to modify or change this risk factor. But this doesn’t mean that you cannot prevent the disease.

A family history of the same problem has an effect, but again most cases of lung cancer are associated with lifestyle and environmental factors (modifiable risk factors). So there are still plenty of options to prevent it!

Previous cancer treatments

If you have taken cancer treatments for other cancers, this may also contribute to raise your lung cancer risk – especially for treatments that are directed in the chest region.

For instance, taking radiation therapy for breast cancer in the past may raise the risk of lung cancer. Although the new more effective methods of radiotherapy for breast cancer is now less likely to affect the lung.

Some treatments for the following cancers may also affect the risk of lung cancer:

  1. Testicular cancer.
  2. Particular cancer of the womb.
  3. Particular types of non Hodgkin lymphoma
  4. Hodgkin lymphoma
  5. Discuss with a specialist for more advice!

Taking cancer treatment is difficult to cope, and each treatment has side effects. But if you don’t take the treatments for these cancers, this is a much greater risk.

In addition, if you have had other cancers associated with smoking, this may also affect the risk of lung cancer (this issue is not clear yet, still debatable).

Weak immune system

If you have weak immune system or if it doesn’t work as well as it should, you are easier to get sick. The cancer cells are also likely to develop more easily if your body defense system is weak.

Some disorders can weaken the immune system. These include HIV /AIDs, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, lung cancer is also quite common in people with these autoimmune disorders.

It seems that smoking (tobacco smoke) is the most common risk factor for lung cancer. But it is not the only one – there are also other risk factors you need to concern to keep your risk as low as possible!

Catching lung cancer early is essential to treat it easier and expect better prognosis. If you have many risk factors of this cancer, ask your doctor for more advice! If necessary, you may be asked to take a screening test for cancer earlier!

Citations /references:

  1. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke
  2. http://www2.epa.gov/radon/find-radon-test-kit-or-measurement-and-mitigation-professional
  3. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/lung/Patient/page3

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