Anything that can increase the prevalence of lung cancer is called a risk factor for lung cancer, which can be people’s behavior, substances in the living environment, or genetic traits inherited. However, there is no absolute cause-and-effect relationship between risk factors and the development of lung cancer. In reality, people who have one or more risk factors will not necessarily develop lung cancer, while some people without any known risk factors may also develop lung cancer. Nonetheless, if you have risk factors for developing lung cancer, you should still increase your concern about lung cancer. In general, risk factors for lung cancer include: Smoking The relationship between smoking and lung cancer was first mentioned in 1939, and since then much evidence has supported their relationship. Cigarette smoking contains more than 50 ingredients that have been linked to lung cancer. In addition to lung cancer, smoking has been linked to cancers in other parts of the body, including esophageal cancer, neck cancer, and bladder cancer. The more you smoke, the greater your risk of developing cancer. The risk of cancer will be reduced after quitting smoking. Radon gas Uranium is a metallic element found in rocks and soil. When it decays, radon is released into the air and water. Uranium has a high risk of causing lung cancer and the correlation between radon and lung cancer is inconsistent with current research results. Smoking has a synergistic effect with uranium and radon in causing lung cancer. Asbestos or other carcinogenic substances Other substances associated with lung cancer include: arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and also asbestos, soot, soot, silicon trioxide, and diesel fumes. These substances also have a synergistic effect with smoking in causing lung cancer. Having other cancers increases the risk of lung cancer if you have other cancers. Small cell lung cancer can increase the risk of other types of lung cancer. The risk of lung cancer is also increased if you have other smoking-related cancers, such as head and neck cancers. People with a history of chest radiation therapy for other tumors also have an increased risk of lung cancer, especially in smokers. Alkylating agents used to treat Hodgkin’s lymphoma also increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Having a family member with lung cancer Increased risk of developing lung cancer if a close relative has lung cancer. Your risk of developing lung cancer is also high if a close relative has lung cancer at a younger age or if multiple relatives have lung cancer. Familial lung cancer can also be due to family members enjoying the same environmental factors, or it can be due to the same genetic background, or a combination of both. Having other lung diseases Two lung diseases have been clearly linked to lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary fibrosis. Exposure to secondhand smoke Secondhand smoke caused cancer in 1981, and many studies have since validated its association. In addition the prevalence of lung cancer increases with increasing age.