“Oh, I don’t smoke so I can’t get lung cancer.”

Do you think like this? Well, get ready for a shocker.

You don’t need to be a smoker to develop lung cancer. It is true that smokers are most susceptible to Lung Cancer, but even as a non-smoker, other risk factors make you a target for this disease.

Some of them are:

Second-hand smoke:

While smoking is responsible for about 90% of all cases of lung cancer, your constant presence around people that smoke can expose you to this disease. The longer you hang around your guys that smoke, inhaling their smoke, the more your risk of developing lung cancer. Now that you know this, be careful how long you stick around your unapologetic smoker friends when the cigarette is lit.

Asbestos and diesel exhaust:

Do you work in an industrial environment where the use of asbestos is common or where you constantly inhale diesel exhaust? Then you must know that long exposure to asbestos and diesel exhaust puts you at a risk for lung cancer. If you smoke and work with asbestos, that is double jeopardy. To cut down this risk, you may consider quitting cigarette smoking altogether and avoiding too much exposure to asbestos.

Age:

Lung cancer is most severe as you age. 81% of those living with lung cancer are over the age 60. This makes it possible for someone with lung cancer to live somewhat free of lung cancer symptoms until they are much older.

Inherited genes:

According to cancer.org, a small percentage of people inherit DNA mutations from their parents that put them at a greater risk of developing certain cancers like Lung cancer. So, when next you see a family with a history of lung cancer, don’t be quick to assume they are all smokers. It might just be genes bringing forward the habits of their older ones to the younger generation.

And just in case you are wondering why the sudden emphasis on Lung cancer, it is because November is Lung Cancer Awareness month!