What causes lung cancer? It’s not just smoking!

Cigarette smoke increases the risk for lung cancer, and the U.S. Surgeon General has required warning labels on tobacco products since the 1960s. But epidemiologists (scientists who study disease in populations) know that smoking isn’t the only cause of lung cancer. Estimates published by the National Cancer Institute indicate that 87% of lung cancer cases are caused primarily by tobacco. Thousands of Americans contract lung cancer every year – cancer that was not caused by tobacco! Some of these lung cancer patients may have smoked at some point in their lives – and some never smoked at all. But the numbers show that thousands of people – even people who smoke – got lung cancer from another cause.

What are those other causes of lung cancer? Asbestos is one. Asbestos was used in thousands of industrial and home products for decades. Asbestos had properties that made it ideal for many uses. It was durable and fireproof. But asbestos fibers can cause cancer when they are inhaled. The cancer might not show up until decades after the asbestos fibers enter the lungs.

The asbestos industry knew about the health hazards of their products for years. Yet they continued to sell asbestos and make profits from it. Today thousands of Americans develop cancer every year because they were exposed to asbestos in the past. The callous disregard for safety by the asbestos manufacturers condemned many to cancer.

This site is about the relationship between lung cancer and asbestos exposure. Did you develop lung cancer because you were exposed to asbestos? If so, you may have a legal case against the asbestos manufacturers.

We can help you figure out if you were exposed to asbestos. We have a database of products that employed asbestos over the years, and a list of workplaces and occupations where exposure was likely to occur. If you have lung cancer and were exposed to asbestos in the past, you may have a legal case. Contact us for more information.

This website explains the causes of lung cancer. There are many causes, including smoking and inhalation of asbestos fibers. We also discuss the symptoms of lung cancer. Lung cancer has symptoms like those of other diseases, so it can be frightening and confusing if you have some of them. The most common and obvious significant symptoms in a patient 45 years of age or older is a severe, worsening cough, with or without blood. Sometimes the cough is accompanied by chest pain or shortness of breath.

Most people with a chronic cough do not have lung cancer and there are other conditions that cause coughs. Review our list of symptoms and consult a doctor. Only a doctor can definitively diagnose lung cancer. The medical profession has developed a formal method for diagnosis, and a diagnosis will indicate which type of lung cancer you have.

Continue to the causes of lung cancer