The number one cause for lung cancer is smoking. As lungs are our breathing mechanism, we can harm our mechanism by inhaling harmful substances. In addition to smoking, people working with asbestos or other dangerous chemicals are in the risk group of getting lung cancer. Other causes may also be air pollution and wrong diets. If these factors are accompanied by smoking, the risk increases considerably.
Lung cancer can be divided into two: small cell cancer and non-small cell cancer. Also, it is not impossible to have a combination of the two cancers. A majority of lung cancers is of the non-small cell type.
Lung cancer may take several years to develop without being discovered, as regular tests or x-rays that are done in course of a regular examination. If suspected, special tests can be made which might help to discover the cancer cells or changes in the lungs before they start to spread elsewhere in the body but all in all the chances to discover and prevent it are minimal.
Keep in mind that lung cancer is a very serious and lethal disease as it is hard to discover in early stages. If possible, avoid being exposed to cigarette smoke and dangerous chemicals which may induce the growth of cancer cells in the lungs.
