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  2. Risk factors

What are the risk factors for lung cancer?

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A risk factor is any factor that is associated with increasing someone’s chances of developing a certain condition, such as cancer. Some risk factors are modifiable, such as lifestyle or environmental risk factors, and others cannot be modified, such as inherited factors and whether someone in the family has had cancer.

Having one or more risk factor does not mean that you will develop cancer. Many people have at least one risk factor but will never develop cancer, while others with cancer may have had no known risk factors. Even if a person with cancer has a risk factor, it is usually hard to know how much that risk factor contributed to the development of their disease.

Factors that are associated with a higher risk of developing lung cancer include:

Lifestyle factors

  • current or former tobacco smoking – this is the greatest risk factor for lung cancer, and the risk is greatest for people who began smoking early in life, smoked for longer and smoked more often

Environmental or occupational factors

  • exposure to secondhand smoke (passive smoking)
  • occupational exposures, such as radon, asbestos, diesel exhaust and silica. Exposure to asbestos also increases the risk of developing mesothelioma, which starts in the lining surrounding the lungs (the pleura)
  • exposure to air pollution

Personal factors

  • increasing age
  • family history of lung cancer
  • a history of chronic lung disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary fibrosis
  • a personal history of cancer, including lung cancer, head and neck cancer and bladder cancer.

Find out more about:

  • Risk factors for lung cancer: an overview of the evidence
  • Cancer Australia Position Statement:  Lifestyle risk factors and the primary prevention of cancer
  • Last Updated
  • Relevant Links
updated: 20 October 2020 - 3:32pm
Getting the best advice and care: A guide for those affected by lung cancer
Delivering Best Practice Lung Cancer Care: A summary for health professionals
Lung Foundation Australia
Clinical Practice Guidelines for the treatment of lung cancer
Lung cancer - Understanding, Managing, Living
Lung cancer - care pathway
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute (US)
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (US)
Lung Cancer Framework
Lung Cancer Framework – At a Glance

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Information on more than 70 types of cancer

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About Cancer Australia

Cancer Australia was established by the Australian Government in 2006 to benefit all Australians affected by cancer, and their families and carers. Cancer Australia aims to reduce the impact of cancer, address disparities and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer by leading and coordinating national, evidence-based interventions across the continuum of care.

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