Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Risk Factors  

Most common non small cell lung cancer risk factors include:  

• Mining – certain miners, mostly those who frequently mine uranium are at higher risk of all types of lung cancers including non small cell lung cancer. The risk is higher when mining is associated with cigarette smoking.  
• Radiation – being constantly exposed to tobacco smoke and radiation can lead to the development of non-small cell lung cancer.  
• Carcinogenic substances - frequent exposure to radon and asbestosis can cause non small cell lung cancer. Asbestosis exposure alone increases your lung cancer risk by 9 times; when associated with cigarette smoking, the risk can be increased up to 50 times.    
• Unhealthy diet – a variety of cancer can result from an unhealthy diet. A diet rich in fruits and cruciferous vegetables, in the other hand, helps keep your immune system healthy enough to fight against all diseases including cancer. In fact, their regular consumption exerts protective effects even smokers. There is a lower incidence of lung cancer among consumers of fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene: sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots, spinach and other dark green vegetables, winter squash, etc. 
• Sex – lung cancer is more common among men than women; however, the incidence of lung cancer started to decline among males in the early 1980s and has increased among females over the past 20 years. 
• Age - lung cancer can affect people of all ages; however, most cases of small cell lung cancer occur in people aged 35-75 years. According to American Cancer Society, the incidence of lung cancer (non-small cell and small cell combined) among men and women are as follows:  

       Causes                                                                  Symptoms